Bang Bang: Part Two Evil Jeweler
by Sweet and Sour Suki
Summary: Kagome now knows the truth about SesshoMaru and what REALLY happened at Sakura Square, and she finds that she must rely on him to protect her from the evil jeweler, Naraku, who wants her engagement ring: a precious jewel called the shikon no tama.


Chapter One  
  
Kagome was just short of banging her head repeatedly against the wall after SesshoMaru had left. Why had she just stood there gawking like that? He couldn't possibly still love her! Because then that would mean... Wait, why was she even thinking about this? She was going to get married to InuYasha!  
  
'Right, if he ever comes home, you mean.' A bitter voice sprang into her head. Kagome growled at it to shut up.  
  
"Well, Buyo..." Kagome looked down at her cat that was now rubbing against her ankles, begging for attention. "How about I make some dinner to take my mind off things? I never did get my California rolls..." She grumped, and then walked over to the kitchen to prepare a simple macaroni and cheese dish. She'd have to make enough for SesshoMaru as well... She sighed. What had she gotten herself into?  
  
Kagome took the ring InuYasha had given to her and slipped it on her finger. Leave it to InuYasha to get her something that might kill her. As Kagome brought out the Easy Mac, her mind started to wander to that day that she had caught InuYasha and Kikyou together...  
  
No! Don't think about it! You are going to marry this man!  
  
Why!? He cheated on you, damn it!  
  
He only kissed her!  
  
But he knows that the two of you despise one another!  
  
It was just a heat of the moment sort of thing...  
  
Stop kidding yourself, Kagome. Do you even think he REALLY wants to marry you?  
  
Of course he does!  
  
Well then 1. Why did he buy a ring from a pawnshop, and 2. Why did he leave RIGHT after he proposed to you?  
  
He's busy and... and... He said that he couldn't wait any longer and that's why...  
  
Oh, give it up already. Do you even love him?  
  
...  
  
Do you love InuYasha?  
  
Of course I love him... I said yes didn't I?  
  
You felt you had to... Think back, Kagome. It was only a few hours ago. He practically gave you no other choice! Your friends were there, people were staring, and he did that puppy dog eyes thing...  
  
Yeah, what was with that?  
  
He knows that whenever he does that, you can't say no to him.  
  
True... But I would never say no to a man I didn't love and didn't really want to marry. I'm not like that. I know what I want in life.  
  
Oh yeah? Well what about SesshoMaru?  
  
"WHAT ABOUT SESSHOMARU!?" Kagome screamed at herself, flinging the dry macaroni everywhere around the kitchen. She realized what she was doing and took in several deep breaths to calm her down.  
  
"Okay, Kagome. This has been a very long day. First you got high at Toutousai's, then InuYasha proposed to you, and now a million dollar bounty head is going to stay in your apartment to protect you from some jeweler that wants your engagement ring... Chill... out." Kagome sighed and looked around at the mess she made. Rolling her eyes, she flung the now empty box of macaroni onto the tile and walked over to the couch. "I'll just take a nap... I'll feel better when I wake up..." She sunk into the cushions, and was asleep once her eyes fluttered closed. She was so exhausted... Buyo and Kirara started fighting again, only to yowl when a pillow came flying towards them from Kagome.  
  
"Would you two just get along damn it! Poor Buyo's going to get a hernia..."  
  
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A loud knocking jarred Kagome from her very, very short nap, and she sat up groggily.  
  
"What the hell do you want!?" She called out from her position at the couch.  
  
"Come on and open the door! It's me, your new roommate. Or have you forgotten already!?" SesshoMaru yelled from the hallway. Kagome grumbled and picked up a digital clock nearby. It was almost midnight. She staggered to the door, unlocked it, and then flung it open.  
  
"What the hell happened in here?" SesshoMaru raised his eyebrows as he walked in with a black duffel bag, full to the brim of clothes, toiletries, and other necessities that he would need to stay at Kagome's until... whenever it was that he could go back to his house without being wanted by the cops. His last comment was referring to the mess of macaroni on the kitchen floor.  
  
"Huh?" Kagome croaked sleepily as she made her way back to the couch, her eyes already halfway shut.  
  
"Why is there macaroni on the floor?" SesshoMaru put his duffel bag in a corner and crossed his arms, facing Kagome. Kagome looked at SesshoMaru, then the floor, then back at him, her eyes sort of glazed in her half sleep.  
  
"It's your dinner. Enjoy." She smirked, then collapsed back onto the couch to resume her previous activity. SesshoMaru stared at her.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Mph... Leave me alone Miroku... I don't wanna work today... come on just five more minutes Sango!" Kagome exclaimed, asleep. SesshoMaru shook his head, then turned the oven off. He looked down at the mess, but decided to leave it. He was too tired to clean anything up tonight.  
  
SesshoMaru sighed and grudgingly carried his bag into a room. It looked like Kagome's. Well, there wasn't anywhere else to sleep since Kagome had occupied the couch so... He shrugged, and began to change for bed.  
  
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Kagome woke up to the calm, serene sounds of... screaming?  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!? GET OUT! GET OUT! NO WAIT! STAY HERE! STAY HERE! I FORGOT YOUR WORTH MORE THAN 100 OF MY CARS!"  
  
"Oh shit..." Kagome grumbled when she recognized Sango's voice and SesshoMaru's low growling. She had forgotten to call her the night before and tell her about their new ward.  
  
"Sango, wait!" She cried out groggily, trying to lift herself out of the couch, only to find that her butt was stuck in between one of the cushions.  
  
"WHY ARE YOU HERE, HUH!? THOUGHT YOU'D SNEEK UP ON ME AND KILL ME TOO!? I SAW KAGOME LYING ON THE COUCH, IF SHE'S DEAD I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KICK YOUR ASS ALL THE WAY TO KANSAS!!!" Sango screamed from what seemed like Kagome's bedroom.  
  
"SANGO!!! SHUT UP AND COME IN HERE NOW!!!" Kagome yelled from the living room. She knew Sango would be hesitating, debating whether or not she should leave SesshoMaru to go to Kagome, or stay with the 'murderer'.  
  
"I SAID NOW!"  
  
Sango poked her head out of the door, her gun visibly pointing at SesshoMaru.  
  
"Hey, you're not dead." She blinked.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock. Put that gun away and help me out of this couch!" Kagome exclaimed grumpily, still struggling beneath the cushions. Once again, Sango hesitated.  
  
"What about SesshoMaru?"  
  
"He's here for a reason. He won't hurt you as long as you don't hurt him. Now help me outta here!"  
  
"Alright, alright." Sango tucked her gun into her pants and crossed the room to help Kagome out of the couch's clutches. She took her hand and pulled as hard as she could. "Damn, Kagome! How'd you get so far down there!?"  
  
"I don't know! I've never slept on the couch before! I didn't know it was going to eat me!"  
  
Finally the couch let Kagome go, and she flew into the air, landing on Sango.  
  
"OMF!"  
  
"Thanks for catching me." Kagome patted Sango's head with a grin, and was then pushed off with an angry shove. Just then SesshoMaru stepped out of the bedroom, in his bare-chested glory.  
  
"Why didn't you tell Sango that I was here!?" He hissed at Kagome through his teeth. "She almost shot me!"  
  
"Uh..." Kagome scratched her head from her position at the floor. "I... forgot?" She smiled innocently. SesshoMaru growled and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.  
  
"Jesus, Kagome!"  
  
"Hey give me a break! I'd had a very long day!"  
  
"That doesn't mean you can stop being responsible."  
  
"Well everything's okay now. Right, Sango?" She looked down at her friend who was still squashed into the floor. "You won't try to shoot SesshoMaru?"  
  
"First I want an explanation. And it better be good." She growled, sitting up.  
  
"Okay. We'll talk over a plate of pancakes! How dies that sound?" Kagome looked around the room and the growls and leers that everyone was giving her. "Great."  
  
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"So what you're saying, is that if you don't protect Kagome, she might get killed by this Naraku dude just because he wants her engagement ring?" Sango blinked, and then folded her arms across her chest. "Why don't you just take the ring and split? That way you don't have to stick around. Wouldn't that be more for your benefit?"  
  
"I could..." SesshoMaru nodded, chewing a mouth full of delicious pancakes that Kagome had just whipped up. His were drenched in syrup, and the butter was piled on, just the way he liked it. Now he couldn't stop eating them. Kagome was already on her third batch and quickly running out of pancake mix. "But Kagome is also a lure for me, to get Naraku. Once he comes for her, we're going to have a little chat.. And then I'm going to put him away for good."  
  
"I still don't understand. If you take the ring, and Naraku finds out, wouldn't he just go after you instead of Kagome? I think that would be easier."  
  
"It would..." Kagome stated from the stove, turning around to face her friend. "But I want to keep the ring."  
  
"What for?" Sango raised her eyebrows, wondering why Kagome would want to keep something that might get her killed.  
  
"It's worth 500 times the amount of SesshoMaru." She grinned.  
  
...  
  
"HOLY SHIT! Oh god... Oh god..." Dollar signs flashed in front of Sango's eyes as she jumped up from her chair, making it topple backwards. She put her hands to her cheeks and let loose a huge smile. "500,000,000..."  
  
"That's what I said..." Kagome sighed dreamily, holding her spatula to her heart. "So I'm keeping the ring, because SesshoMaru says that once Naraku is gone, and after I have cleared SesshoMaru's name, I can sell this baby!" She held up her hand, and the ring sparkled on her left ring finger.  
  
"500,000,000... Hey wait, you wanna sell the engagement ring that InuYasha gave you?" Sango frowned at this, turning to Kagome. Didn't the ring hold any sentimental value with her?  
  
"No. He bought it for 200 bucks at a pawnshop." Kagome grimaced. Sango gasped.  
  
"That bastard!"  
  
"I know! And now I'm having second thoughts about..." Kagome began, then realized that SesshoMaru was still sitting behind her. She glanced at him, and then suddenly resumed the making of her pancakes. SesshoMaru blinked, wondering if it was InuYasha or him she was having second thoughts about.  
  
"Uh... okay." Sango coughed to fill the silence and save Kagome. "So SesshoMaru will stay here. No problem. And we won't turn you in. Nope. We'll just sell the ring after your gone..." Her eyes sparkled as she thought of all the things she could do with 500,000,000 dollars.  
  
"Right. I'll protect you and Kagome from any of Naraku's attempts to get the ring, and you two protect me from the outside world. Cops, hunters... my brother. Everyone."  
  
"Especially Kouga." Kagome sighed, flipping three pancakes onto a plate and setting them in front of SesshoMaru. "Sessho and I have already talked about who needs to know about him and who doesn't. And we've decided that Shippou and Miroku are the only other people that need to know. Kouga won't care about the 500 mil, he'll just want to do justice and turn Sessho in."  
  
If SesshoMaru acknowledged that Kagome was back to calling him his child hood nickname, he gave no notice, and dug into his pancakes hungrily. Sango nodded in agreement to Kagome's earlier statement.  
  
"So now all we have to do is go to the office, explain everything to Miroku, and then ask to be cut from the case." Kagome finished, sitting down beside her ward and friend. Sango frowned.  
  
"Why would we need to be off the case?"  
  
"...Because, Sango. We're not going to turn SesshoMaru in anymore, remember? We have a 500 million dollar ring to cash in." Kagome answered slowly, wondering how this could be so confusing.  
  
"But then wouldn't Kouga get suspicious? You know he's going to get in on this case too once he comes in for an assignment. He'll expect us to help with tips and stuff, and then he'll want to go after SesshoMaru alone of course...but still..." She explained, referring to Kouga's reputation of being a solo hunter. "And besides, wouldn't it be easier if he thought we were working on the case, and brought us along to some of his sites? Because then you could investigate more, and maybe we can even find proof that SesshoMaru is innocent, and that Naraku was the one that killed his Kagura. It's less conspicuous, and you can do research without making anyone suspicious."  
  
SesshoMaru actually looked up from his pancakes to stare at Sango.  
  
"You are a very intelligent young lady." He mumbled through his mouth full of food. Sango smirked, while Kagome mulled it over.  
  
"Yes, that sounds well enough... But we have to make sure Miroku won't tell Kouga anything. Same goes for Shippou."  
  
"Right." Sango nodded.  
  
"Now lets go get our little fox and report to the office. We'll see if Kouga's come in yet." Kagome stood from the table and stretched. She wanted to take a shower, but there was so much to do. And she didn't really feel comfortable taking a shower in SesshoMaru's presence... Sometimes he could be more of a letch than Miroku.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
When Kagome and Sango entered Miroku's office, they almost turned around and went back outside to SesshoMaru, who was waiting across the street in holds up two fingers on each hand and brings down twice 'disguise'. As in, sunglasses to hide his golden eyes and a hat to hide his unforgettable hair that was such a light blond it was almost silver. He was slumped over in Sango's corvette, trying not to bring attention to himself. He still needed to trade in his Ferrari for a different car and plates so he couldn't be tracked down as easily, but the girls had insisted on going to the office first. The sooner they told Miroku about SesshoMaru, the better. Only, they didn't expect Kouga to already be there.  
  
"Wait girls, you need to hear this too..." Miroku motioned for the girls to sit down before they could escape. Kagome and Sango exchanged looks, but shrugged and took their seats in front of Miroku.  
  
"What is it?" Kagome asked, feeling nervous of having Kouga so close to SesshoMaru when she hadn't explained anything to Miroku yet. "We're kind of in a hurry, Miroku... we still have to pick up the kid..." She improvised, speaking of Shippou.  
  
"This is bigger than the fox. Listen, SesshoMaru has struck again." Miroku folded his hands in front of him and looked at his three hunters seriously. Sango quirked an eyebrow and Kagome looked confused.  
  
"... What?"  
  
"He's killed another person." Kouga exclaimed gruffly, fury clear on his face.  
  
"...Uh..."  
  
"Remember that witness, the old lady that told us a lot about the Sakura Square shooting?" Miroku looked at the girls, obviously he had already told Kouga the news. Sango and Kagome nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Kaede."  
  
"Yes, well, she's been murdered. Hit over the head with a blunt object numerous times. The police have yet to find the weapon and fingerprints, but what we did find was enough evidence to once again point to SesshoMaru." Miroku picked up a file and looked through it. "His hair was found on the carpet in several places... a piece of cloth, seemingly from a black dress shirt, has been found. Police have indicated that it is his as well..."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Skin cells, residue, prints, cat hair, his hair, anything could be traced back to him." Kouga answered for his boss.  
  
Kagome frowned.  
  
"And the best piece of evidence we have is a letter, in his handwriting. It said..." Miroku squinted down at the photo he had of the letter in the file as he tried to read. "Something about to be prepared, that there was a lot more where that came from..." He shook his head, unable to read any more. "You're going to have to go up to the station and get the real deal if you want to know the rest. But there you have it. Another person down for the count because of SesshoMaru."  
  
Sango elbowed Kagome and raised her eyebrows at her. Kagome nodded and thought long and hard. Could SesshoMaru really have done this?  
  
"What time did the murder take place?" She finally asked, looking at Miroku expectantly. The man flipped the file back open again.  
  
"Around 10:45 p.m."  
  
Kagome sighed in relief, but then became angered. She knew for a fact that SesshoMaru had been in her apartment from around 10 o'clock to 11:40. He had left to get his stuff, but had come back 20 minutes later. He could have gone out when she was asleep, but by then the murder had already taken place, so SesshoMaru was innocent. But this also meant that someone... probably Naraku... had framed him YET again... and had killed the only outside witness they had at the shooting! He killed her to shut her up!  
  
"That bastard!" Kagome brought her fist down onto Miroku's desk, making everyone jump suddenly. She realized she had said this out loud, and laughed innocently. "Oh, ha, ha... sorry..."  
  
"Yes, that he definitely is... I want you all to work on this case together. This is going to be dangerous." Miroku said, thinking Kagome's outburst was directed to SesshoMaru. While Kouga began to protest, Sango looked at Kagome for a silent answer on what she thought about SesshoMaru killing someone, and Kagome shook her head no. Sango nodded, trusting her to explain later.  
  
"Now, Kouga. Just this once, I think even you made need some assistance." Miroku told Kouga, shaking his head at the hunter's protests.  
  
"Look, I can understand them HELPING me out a bit, but I don't want to be taking care of two girls while I go out and search for this guy! He is dangerous!" Kouga yelled out angrily, standing up from his chair.  
  
"HEY! We can take care of ourselves thank-you-very-much." Sango pointed a finger at Kouga, also standing. Kagome sighed.  
  
"You're just a woman! I realize that you're famous around here and everything, but I've been around more than you have! I know what I'm doing!" Kouga growled back.  
  
"WELL, SO DO WE!!!" Sango screamed at him. Before the two could get into an all out brawl, Kagome stood and held out her hands.  
  
"ENOUGH! I can't think! Kouga, Sango, take this little fight out into the hall. I need to talk to Miroku." Kagome glanced at Sango, indicating for her to keep fighting to stall Kouga.  
  
"And FURTHER more..." She stated, leading Kouga outside of the office, ready to give him everything she had. Kagome shut the door after him and immediately went over to Miroku's desk.  
  
"We have a problem." She stated seriously, placing both hands on the wooden surface and staring at her boss. Miroku raised his eyebrows.  
  
"I assume you aren't talking about the Kouga and Sango problem?"  
  
"You assume correctly. It's bigger than that. Bigger than anything we've ever done before. And it's complicated."  
  
"Oh boy. Alright, give it to me." Miroku sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Wait!" He held up a hand suddenly. "It's not that you're pregnant or anything is it?" He winced. Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Thought not... Okay... proceed."  
  
"Well, in a nutshell, SesshoMaru is innocent, but being framed by a sadistic jeweler that killed SesshoMaru's parents and now wants to come after me for my engagement ring because it's worth more than 500 SesshoMaru's."  
  
Miroku stared at her.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I'm totally serious, Miroku!" Kagome threw her hands into the air in frustration. "SesshoMaru came to my apartment last night and explained his long sad story about how his parents were assassinated by Naraku Watanbe's younger sisters, and that he somehow escaped and went to live with InuYasha and InuYasha's mother and blah blah blah... skip a few years and then SesshoMaru decides to take revenge and avenge his mommy and daddy by corrupting Naraku's business by bringing it to the public that he's running an underground black market jewelry store, scamming people and stealing gems from Africa and all that. So Naraku got mad and now they keep throwing things at each other, and finally Sessho had had enough of it so he told Naraku to meet him at Sakura Square so they could settle things, only SesshoMaru got a little mad and things went down that shouldn't have... and then SesshoMaru and his friends ran away, and Naraku decided to get revenge on SESSHOMARU now... so he killed his sister and framed SesshoMaru."  
  
Kagome took a breath.  
  
"Now here's where I come in... apparently Naraku let a precious diamond slip through his fingers and it ended up at a pawn shop, where InuYasha bought it for two hindered dollars and gave it to me as an engagement ring. Now Naraku wants to come after me to get the ring, because like I said, it's worth around 500 SesshoMaru's. So SesshoMaru is going to stay at my apartment, and I am going to hide him from the cops and various bounty hunters so he can protect me from Naraku. I'm going to keep the ring, and not turn him in, because I want the 500 mil. At the same time, I'm also bait for Naraku, so SesshoMaru can kick his ass and then turn him in. AND I have to prove that SesshoMaru is innocent, or he'll take the ring away from me, which I don't doubt for a minute that he's very capable of doing. End of story."  
  
Miroku blinked.  
  
"SesshoMaru came to your apartment? Wasn't that weird?"  
  
"MIROKU!!! HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING I'VE SAID!?"  
  
"Yes, yes!!! Sorry... Wow... okay... hang on let me get over the shock of this for a sec..." Miroku paused, staring off into space. "Okay, done. So now what? I just sent Kouga out on this case. I can't stop him now."  
  
"We'll just keep leading him in the wrong direction. But you have to keep your big mouth SHUT. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah... I'm assuming Sango knows this as well?"  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"And so will Shippou. NO one else though."  
  
"Right okay... But uh... since I'm not going to rat you guys out or take SesshoMaru in or anything..."  
  
"Everyone that knows will get part of the 500 mil once I sell this baby, don't worry." Kagome grinned.  
  
Miroku sighed in relief, and smiled hugely.  
  
"Great, just what I wanted to hear. Nothing like a good bribe... Wait a minute..." The entirety of Kagome's speech had begun to sink in at this point... "So Naraku Watanbe is the one that killed his own SISTER?"  
  
"Supposedly... He's a pretty insane guy... or at least that's what SesshoMaru says. But I trust him."  
  
"And Kaede? She was another framing?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. This is what makes be believe everything SesshoMaru said the most. Because SesshoMaru was at my apartment from 10 o'clock to 11:40, then he left for twenty minutes to get some stuff, and then he slept over. He couldn't have killed that woman. I was talking to him about the engagement ring at 10:30."  
  
"That must have been interesting... How did he take it that you were getting married to InuYasha?" Miroku mused. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Not too well, actually. He seemed almost... jealous." She laughed. Miroku nodded, as if he understood.  
  
"Hey are you guys done yet? I've run out of insults..." Sango stuck her head into the office. Kagome laughed and nodded, standing up.  
  
"Remember, not a word to Kouga or the police until we can clear SesshoMaru's name." She whispered to Miroku. He nodded.  
  
"I'll try to scrounge up whatever I can. Have fun on your wild goose chase." He winked at Kagome. She winked back, just as Kouga walked back into the office to talk to Miroku for a little while longer.  
  
"Oh, and Kagome!" Miroku called back after her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't you have something to give to Kouga?"  
  
"OH that's right!" Kagome grinned, and walked over to her fellow bounty hunter. She dug around in her pocket and drew out his blue business card. "Welcome to the club, 'Wolfie'. Meet you at Myouga's in an hour." She threw out the little piece of plastic at him. Kouga caught it and quirked an eyebrow. Just as Kagome was shutting the door, she heard Kouga say,  
  
"Wolfie? Miroku, you are one sick bastard."  
  
"I know."  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Shippou, SesshoMaru. SesshoMaru, Shippou." Kagome made a quick greeting once Shippou had stopped in shock halfway to the convertible, his mouth open in surprise.  
  
"B-but isn't he... didn't he...won't he..."  
  
"Shut your hole. Sango will explain everything to you on the way to... where are we going Sessho?" Kagome turned in her seat (she was driving again) to look at SesshoMaru, who was in the passenger side.  
  
"I need a car, so obviously we're going to the dealership." He stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well no shit. What dealership?" Kagome growled. SesshoMaru wasn't exactly her favorite person in the world, despite all of his apologies and the fact that he still... liked... her....  
  
"I don't care. I just want my own car. Having you driving me everywhere has proved most unpleasant." He snapped back, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"Well EXCUSE me." Kagome muttered. Shippou hesitantly opened the back door and slid in next to Sango.  
  
"Why do I have to be the one to explain everything!? This is going to take hours!" She protested.  
  
"Just give him the short version. He trusts us. Right, Shippou?" Kagome swiveled around to look at her young friend, who gulped, but nodded and smiled. "Great."  
  
Kagome stepped on the gas pedal and they flew away to the closet dealership.  
  
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"I cannot believe that you just made me buy you a god damned car!" Kagome hissed on her way back to the convertible, looking battered but victorious as she threw a pair of keys at SesshoMaru, who caught them in mid air.  
  
"I told you I'd pay you back. I couldn't exactly use my credit card! They'd call the cops in a millisecond!" SesshoMaru retorted, climbing out of Sango's vehicle. "What'd you get me!?" He suddenly asked excitedly. Kagome couldn't help but grin at his child like greediness.  
  
"Go and see..." She snickered maliciously. SesshoMaru narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"Where is it?" He asked slowly, almost afraid. Kagome pointed over his shoulder and he turned around.  
  
"I hope you're not pointing to that little blue Spirit over there..." He grimaced.  
  
"Actually, I'm not." Kagome exclaimed to everyone's slight surprise. "I'm pointing to the burnt orange BMW next to it."  
  
SesshoMaru groaned, and (a fully clued in) Shippou and Sango snickered.  
  
"Bitch." SesshoMaru growled, but clambered over to the car.  
  
"I try... Bye byeeee!" Kagome waved, giggling. Ah... sweet revenge. "Oh and SesshoMaru!" She had almost forgot something.  
  
"What!?" The man spun around angrily on his heel to look at her. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Do you have a cell phone?" (screw the mic's, everyone.)  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay. My number is 414-2624 if you need to contact me for any reason."  
  
SesshoMaru nodded.  
  
"997-0627." He replied, giving her his. Sango already had out her handy- dandy notebook, and was scrawling the number down.  
  
"And you'll be following us around ALL day?"  
  
"Guess so."  
  
"Well, mind that you stay out of sight."  
  
"Don't worry. I wouldn't risk my freedom on a slip up like that. You won't even know that I'm here."  
  
"Thank god..." Kagome said sarcastically, and climbed back into the driver's seat of Sango's convertible. Time to meet Kouga at Myouga's. SesshoMaru kicked his new monster into life and slowly chugged after her, cursing Kagome with every name in the book as the three bounty hunters laughed at him.  
  
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"So what do we do once we meet Kouga?" Shippou asked innocently, trailing after the older girls into the bar and grill he had been to on his first day of bounty hunting. He was given an unpleasant surprise when he saw that all of the regulars were there again, dishing out leers and snide comments as he passed them. He grimaced nervously.  
  
"We are going to eat!" Sango held up a finger, guessing. She looked at Kagome expectantly, who nodded and grinned.  
  
"I didn't get to eat my pancakes because Mr. Fluffy ate them all!" Mr. Fluffy was the code name for SesshoMaru, since they didn't want anyone overhearing anything they didn't need to know. Kagome made it up.  
  
Sango looked around the bar, but couldn't find Kouga anywhere.  
  
"Where is he?" She glanced around.  
  
"I dunno... maybe he's late." Kagome shrugged, taking a seat at the nearest vacant table. "Let's just wait here for him. If he doesn't show up in twenty, will just order up and leave."  
  
"Sounds good to me." Sango licked her lips, already going over the menu while Shippou glanced around at the burly men surrounding them, hoping they didn't want to eat him.  
  
"Excuse me, are you two Kagome and Sango, the famous bounty hunter duo?" Someone asked timidly in front of them. Shippou looked up and was surprised the voice came from a very big, very ugly biker man that was blushing slightly. Kagome grinned up at him as Sango put down her menu and mimicked her.  
  
"Yes we are!" They answered at the same time, their smiles never letting up.  
  
"Oh... well..." The man blushed even further and nodded at his boys behind him to step up. "These are my uh... friends..." Which would be code name for, biker gang members... "And uh... It's very nice to finally meet you... we're big fans!" They all bowed ceremoniously. Sango giggled. It was quite a sight.  
  
"Wow, thanks!" Kagome exclaimed, clapping her hands together in joy.  
  
"Can we have autographs?" One man asked from behind the leader. The rest nodded and all started talking at once, rolling up their sleeves and handing the girls pens and markers. Sango looked at Kagome, who shrugged, and they each grabbed a writing utensil.  
  
"What's your name?" Kagome asked the leader, not believing that she was actually doing this.  
  
"Oh uh... It's Jan... But everyone calls me Daddy-O..." He laughed deeply, and the others followed in pursuit.  
  
"Mind if I call you Dad?" Kagome asked, scribbling something on his bicep. Stars floated in front of Daddy-O's eyes.  
  
"You can call me whatever you want!"  
  
"I'm Hip-Shit!"  
  
"No you're not! Your name's Dip-Shit!"  
  
"My name's Fat Mac, will you sign my beer belly!?"  
  
"I'm Skeeter!"  
  
"Black Snake!"  
  
"Little Bill!"  
  
"Top Dog!"  
  
"Where do you guys come up with these?" Sango shook her head and laughed, making everyone drool over her.  
  
"Daddy-O gives us all the names. They all really stand for something... and our rank." Someone known as Mean Steve grumbled in a low voice.  
  
"Where's Fat Mac?" Kagome looked around, holding up her pen. "I wanna sign his beer belly!"  
  
"You know, we have names too..." Sango grinned, ignoring Kagome's protests.  
  
"Aw, come on, Sango... Don't tell them those..." Kagome winced. Sango poked her in the ribs.  
  
"Go on, Kagome. Tell the nice men what your name is... You all want to know what it is, RIGHT?" She looked out onto the small crowd. All of the men cried out an affirmation.  
  
"Alright, alright!" Kagome exclaimed, giving in. She looked around at the biker boys before her. "But if I tell you , you all have to promise to tell no one else, okay?"  
  
They all nodded vigorously.  
  
"It's...Kirei Kitty." She stuck out her tongue. The men were silent for a moment, and then burst out into praise.  
  
"Kirei Kitty! Kirei Kitty! Sign my butt!"  
  
"NO! SIGN MY BUTT!!!"  
  
"I only do above the waist signatures, sorry boys." Kagome grinned. "Do you wanna know what SANGO'S name is?"  
  
"Aw...Kagome..."  
  
"Now, now. It's your turn."  
  
The men turned expectantly to Sango, who blushed.  
  
"It's um... It's Bunny..."  
  
"BUNNY!!! Sign my butt!!!"  
  
"No! Sign mine Bunny! Sign mine!"  
  
"No one is going to sign anyone's butts!! Now why don't you all leave these girls alone." Someone said from behind them all. Everyone turned around, and saw Kouga come out into the middle of the crowd. Daddy-O stepped up to him.  
  
"Who's gonna make us?" He growled menacingly. Kouga growled back, even though he was several feet shorter than the biker leader.  
  
"Wait! Guys, guys, come on..." Kagome ran in between them. "Daddy-O, this is my partner, Kouga. Otherwise known as Wolfie. Kouga, this is Daddy-O, and he has been very nice and courteous to us."  
  
"You sure this guy ain't bothering you?" Kouga looked at Kagome seriously. She nodded. "Alright..." He sighed. "But we need to get some business done. I brought some people here you might want to meet...some clients... They'll have a lot to say about the SesshoMaru incident."  
  
"Okay... Sorry, guys. But I need to get back to work." She smiled apologetically at the men, who all moaned and pleaded for her to sign their biceps, bellies, and arses later. Sango and Kagome happily obliged, not exactly used to the attention.  
  
Once the space cleared out around them, Sango and Kagome sat back down, smiling widely. Even Shippou chuckled at the biker's advances.  
  
"I'll be right back..." Kouga motioned for them to stay put and ran off in the other direction. The three hunters chatted happily until Kouga sat down two people. One, a male, on Kagome's left. And the other, a young girl, on Sango's right. Kouga sat across from Shippou, who was sitting in between the two bounty hunter girls.  
  
"Kagome, Sango, Shippou, this is Naraku Watanbe and his younger sister, Kanna Watanbe." Kouga introduced the new people. Kagome jumped slightly at the names, and looked up slowly from her position at the table. The man next to her was grinning a tad evilly. His jet-black hair was tied into a low ponytail, and the dark purple shirt he wore accentuated his black eyes. He had a handsome, yet devilish face to go along with his killer, but powerful bod. Not that Kagome was checking or anything...  
  
'Wow, the perfect evil villain...' Kagome mused, not a bit afraid of the man that wanted to kill her. She just hoped Sango and Shippou would keep their mouths shut, and also prayed that Naraku didn't try anything in the bar. Sango was next to her, eyeing the blond youth with ice blue eyes that were staring off into oblivion. She snickered and waved her hand in front of Kanna's face.  
  
"Hellooo! Anybody homeeee?" She called. Both hunters were known for being pretty brave in the face of danger. But stupid could be another descriptive word used as well. Kanna snapped her head around and growled at Sango, who retracted her hand like the girl had bit her.  
  
"Humph. Guess so." She stuck her tongue out a Kanna, who seemingly took no notice.  
  
"Mr. Watanbe, Miss... This is Kagome Higurashi and Sango uh..." Kouga thought for a minute, totally forgetting Sango's last name. Sango rolled her eyes.  
  
"Just call me Bunny." She grinned sarcastically, holding out her hand to Kanna, who merely looked at it with a slight sneer before her mask slipped back into place. "Well then, I'll just call you bitch, how's that?"  
  
"Sango!" Kouga narrowed his eyes as he hissed at the girl. "What's that matter with you?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." She replied innocently, putting her head in her hands. Shippou glanced nervously from Naraku and Kanna, and back again.  
  
"Naraku, I apologize for..." Kouga began, only to be interrupted by the man he was speaking to.  
  
"That's a very fine ring you have there, miss Higurashi." Naraku purred at Kagome, who looked slightly disgusted, and then became angry with herself for not thinking of hiding her engagement ring from him. She slipped her hand under the table to rest on her leg, and tried her best, warmest smile on the sadistic bastard.  
  
"Is it? I never noticed." Kagome replied with a fake cheery laugh. Shippou almost choked on the ice water she was drinking. He sputtered while Sango slammed the palm of her hand into his back over and over again. Naraku wrinkled his nose, but turned his attention back to Kagome.  
  
"Mind if I ask who gave it to you?" He asked in his velvet voice, leaning into Kagome. She looked down at him as if he were a speck of dirt, and answered,  
  
"My grandmother." Didn't he already know who gave her the ring? Or was he just toying with her?  
  
"Oh really..." Naraku leaned in closer, until he was centimeters away from her ear. Kagome couldn't help but shiver slightly. "Has your grandmother always been a young man?" He whispered. Kagome jerked away from him and stood up, almost knocking her chair over.  
  
"I have to leave." She grunted, and then stalked off to the ladies room.  
  
"Hey, wait! We have to talk to Mr. Watanbe about..."  
  
"I'm sure you and Mr. Watanbe can settle whatever it is that you need to talk about." Kagome angrily bit him off, swinging open the door and letting it slam behind her. Sango let out a nervous laugh and excused herself as well. Shippou felt like running after them, just to get away from the sly Naraku and his quiet assassin, but he couldn't exactly follow the girls into the ladies room. He silently hoped they wouldn't leave him there.  
  
"I wonder what that was about..." Kouga looked after them wistfully, shaking his head. "I'm sorry for that... I'm not sure what's got into them."  
  
"They probably just have to powder their nose or something... you know how girls are these days." Naraku let a slow grin reach his lips. Kouga smiled back, unknowing of Naraku and his evil ways. Shippou swore he was about to go into cardiac arrest when Kagome and Sango emerged from the bathroom.  
  
"Sorry to be rude..." Kagome spat out, pretty much misusing the point of her sentence. "But we have somewhere to be..." She grabbed Shippou by the cuff of his neck, waved bye to the biker boys, and stormed out the door with Sango and Shippou trailing behind. Kouga growled at their retreating forms.  
  
"Fine then. Guess I'll just do this myself." He grumbled, and then turned back to Naraku to discuss all that SesshoMaru had done, where he was now, and the procedures to take him down. Naraku stared after Kagome, his eyes narrowing as he thought.  
  
'And the plot thickens...'  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Just as Kagome stepped out of the door, she felt a light buzzing in her pocket and Bandages began to play again. Taking out her cell phone, she flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.  
  
"What is it?" She bit out, her fury lingering from what had happened inside the bar.  
  
"Kagome, I just saw Naraku and Kanna go into Myouga's! Come out of there!" SesshoMaru hissed on the other end of the line. He was parked on the other side of the highway in front of exit sign, pretending that he was having car troubles so he could be a look out.  
  
"Yeah, I know. We're already outside. I was sitting right next to the bastard." Kagome sighed as Sango pulled out her car keys. They rounded the corner and SesshoMaru looked up from under to hood of his car. They saw each other, but made no outward acknowledgement.  
  
"You were sitting next to him!?"  
  
"Kouga brought him." They all clambered into the convertible, waiting silently as Kagome passed information back and forth on her phone.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. Something about you, and what to do with you... Naraku has something up his sleeve, I just know it." Kagome brought her fist down on the dashboard, causing Sango to wince. "And I didn't know that Naraku was coming, so I screwed up slightly. He saw the ring on my finger, and then he just about threatened me!" Kagome recalled how close Naraku had been to her, and couldn't help suppress another shiver. "So if he ever had any doubts, they've all been cleared up now. He knows for sure that I've got the ring."  
  
SesshoMaru sighed on the other end, clearly distressed.  
  
"Well, nothing has changed really. Except for Naraku knows what you look like..."  
  
"And what I smell like." Kagome grumbled.  
  
"He smelled you!?" SesshoMaru almost screamed.  
  
"He was awfully close to my ear at one point! I would've slapped him if I was stupid."  
  
The man by the orange BMW willed himself to calm down before he spoke his next words.  
  
"Okay. We need to meet somewhere. We have to talk about some things..." SesshoMaru sighed again, putting down the hood of his car and climbing into the driver's seat. He turned on the ignition and waited for it to kick up.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Toutousai's. That's the only safe place I can think of at the moment."  
  
"HELL NO! I am NOT going to get stoned again by that old geezer, and especially around you!" Kagome protested loudly in the parking lot.  
  
"Relax! He's been hauled in for questioning, remember? Just like Jaken. They're just being nice to him because he's old." SesshoMaru retorted. Kagome thought back and vaguely remembered Houjou saying something or other about it.  
  
"...Fine. We'll meet you there." Sango started up the car as Kagome snapped her phone shut and continued to growl in the passenger seat.  
  
"To Toutousai's?" Sango asked innocently. Kagome rolled her eyes and nodded.  
  
"YAY! Lava lamps!" Her friend suddenly cried, pealing out of the parking lot. Kagome tried hard to restrain herself, but soon found a huge grin reaching her lips at the thought of them high and admiring Toutousai's lava lamps.  
  
SesshoMaru chugged along behind them, but then made a left turn instead of a right at the next intersection, choosing to go a different way than Kagome so as not to look suspicious.  
  
====  
  
mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
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Sure enough, Toutousai wasn't home. And his house wasn't locked either. Of course, that could be due to the fact that he didn't have a door, just a bed sheet covering the frame. But you knew that already.  
  
SesshoMaru, Sango, Shippou, and Kagome sat on the little poufs on the floor around the low table, staring at nothing and contemplating.  
  
"What next? I don't know where to go from here..." Kagome muttered helplessly, putting her head in her hands. Sango sighed, as did Shippou. They were lost.  
  
"How is Naraku pulling all of this off? I just don't understand how the police can accept that I've done this so easily..." SesshoMaru growled, leaning back onto the carpet and closing his eyes. Kagome stared at him, her mind wandering.  
  
"You have a point... I mean, there wasn't THAT much evidence against you... some... but not much..." She pondered out loud. "But for Naraku to ensure that he can have the police believe that you did this, and for his framing to work... there's go to be someone else helping him... someone important."  
  
"Naraku knows a lot of people. He has many friends. Any of them could be helping out." SesshoMaru added, opening his eyes.  
  
"Yes but, don't you think he would need someone... a spy of sorts... or a... an agent, is more like it.... Someone that could keep the police on the you- killing-someone track... Someone... Someone at the police station!" Kagome gasped, coming to her realization.  
  
"...You're right. Naraku would need help from someone on the inside for all of this to go down smoothly." SesshoMaru sat up, a new gleam in his eyes. "But can you think of anyone that..."  
  
"Kikyou." Sango answered instantly, not even really paying attention. Everyone turned to stare at her.  
  
"Kikyou?" Shippou asked timidly. Why was she so sure?  
  
Sango looked around, realizing she had just said this out loud. She scratched the back of her head and shrugged.  
  
"Well, what do you think, Kagome?"  
  
"I'm not sure... I mean, it can't be Houjou. He's not like that..."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" SesshoMaru eyed her.  
  
"I'm not... It's just... he's kind of stupid..." Kagome giggled.  
  
"What about Ayame?" Shippou piped up. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"I just don't know. I'd like to say that it's Kikyou, but we don't have any evidence supporting this. For all we know it could be chief Hachiemon himself. But I DO think that Naraku has someone helping him out at the station."  
  
"I say we search their houses." Sango exclaimed, standing up. "We can't just sit here and mull this over!"  
  
"You mean like, breaking and entering?" Shippou whispered more to himself than anyone else. Sango glared at him.  
  
"More like visiting friends while they're not home." She retorted. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Yeah, they're all working up at the station, so we'll just peek around, see if we can find anything before we ask them ourselves." Kagome stuck out her hand and was instantly helped up by Sango. SesshoMaru groaned.  
  
"You really don't act like professionals, you know?" He grumbled. Kagome sneered at him.  
  
"We're bounty hunters. Not detectives. Give us a fucking break."  
  
"So why did we come here?" Shippou glanced around at Toutousai's shack. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked down at SesshoMaru.  
  
"Because HE doesn't like to talk on the phone."  
  
"Hey, I have sensitive ears."  
  
"My ass."  
  
"Let's go." Sango pulled Shippou up and they began to walk outside, when they were stopped by a loud moo.  
  
"What the..." Kagome whipped around, but didn't see anything. "Did... anyone else... hear that?" She hesitated. Sango and Shippou looked at her.  
  
"Was that a cow?" Shippou questioned, looking around. SesshoMaru chuckled from inside of the little house.  
  
"By the way, there was another reason why I came here..." He stepped out of the shack and into the bright sunlight of late afternoon.  
  
"Oh god... do I want to know?" Kagome bit her lip and winced. SesshoMaru grinned.  
  
"Mind if I hitch the trailer to the back of your car? Mine doesn't have the proper equipment..." He asked innocently, going around the side of the house and beckoning them to follow. They hesitated, sharing glances, but trailed after him. They came to a halt when they saw a miniature horse trailer parked beside the neighbor's rickety fence.  
  
"You're going to have to back up the convertible here and then I'll attach it. Then we might have some trouble loading Momo..." SesshoMaru exclaimed absently, his voice receding as he walked further into the backyard of Toutousai's shack.  
  
"What's a Momo?" Sango asked suspiciously.  
  
"I hope that wasn't Momo that made the moo moo." Kagome whined.  
  
SesshoMaru stepped out from the backyard, a large black and white animal slowly following him.  
  
"Ohhh no. That THING is not going to be attached to the back of my car!" Sango cried out, waving her hands in desperation, backing away from SesshoMaru and the cow.  
  
"It's not going to be. Momo is going to be in the trailer. And THAT will be attached to the back of your car." SesshoMaru handed the rope holding Momo around the neck to Kagome, and began to lower the trailer door.  
  
"And why are we taking a cow around town with us?" Kagome asked, exasperated.  
  
"Toutousai needs someone to look after Momo while he's being interrogated up at the station. I always watch Momo when he leaves." SesshoMaru answered, slamming the door onto the ground like a ramp and taking the cow's reins back from Kagome.  
  
"We can't keep a cow!" Kagome protested, walking up to the fugitive.  
  
"We'll just tie her out in the front of your house."  
  
"I live in an apartment building, Sessho!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.  
  
SesshoMaru turned around, his face inches away from Kagome's as he leaned into her.  
  
"When you call me that... Sessho... It's just like old times." He smiled slightly. Kagome stared at him, gazing into his eyes.  
  
Old times...  
  
She finally realized how close they were and reeled backwards.  
  
"GAH! Uh... but uh... where... where... that's no place to put a cow!" Kagome gathered her bearings and continued her chastising.  
  
"She'll be fine. As long as she has some grass to graze on." SesshoMaru shoved Momo inside the trailer, pushing on hind legs with all his might.  
  
"That grass is the front lawn! Takeda Keranosuke is going to kill me!" The girl cried, referring to the rich owner of the apartment building they lived in.  
  
"Not to mention we haven't paid the rent in four months!" Sango held up a finger. Kagome stopped.  
  
"We...what?"  
  
"We haven't had the money... I thought you knew..." Sango replied meekly.  
  
"We just made money off of Jaken! You could've used it to pay the rent!"  
  
"I wanted Kirara! And besides, you didn't use your money to pay the rent either!"  
  
"I didn't know it needed to be paid! That's your job!"  
  
"Since when is it my job!?"  
  
"Since we first moved in and we decided that I would handle maintenance while you took care of the finances!" Kagome yelled. Momo mooed.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Great... We owe four months worth of rent and now we're going to have a cow in the front lawn... Takeda is going to kick us out! This is all we need..." Kagome smacked her hand against her head while SesshoMaru succeeded in getting Momo inside the trailer, and then closed the door.  
  
"Are we going to check out the pig's houses or what?" He patted the trailer as he walked by it.  
  
"This is too chaotic..." Kagome mumbled. "You three go on ahead without me. I'm going home."  
  
"What for?" Sango asked worriedly.  
  
"To take a nap!" She bit back.  
  
"You can't go without a car." Shippou pointed out. Kagome groaned and looked up at the clear blue sky.  
  
"You're being mean to me on purpose, aren't you?" She whimpered at god. No reply.  
  
"Look, I have an idea. Kagome and I will take Momo back to the apartment, and Sango and Shippou take my car to wherever it is they need to go." SesshoMaru added helpfully, throwing his keys at Sango, who caught them in mid air. She grimaced. Well, at least she didn't have to cart a cow around... That was a perk.  
  
"That's fine... But I'm not sure I want to do this without Kagome..." Sango looked at her friend, referring to breaking into people's houses. That was a duet kind of thing. Kagome sighed.  
  
"So why don't you two go to the station and find out what happened at the murder scene and all that letter SesshoMaru wrote really said." She offered. SesshoMaru looked confused.  
  
"What murder scene?... And what letter?"  
  
Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"The note Naraku left at the murder scene." She exclaimed.  
  
"Naraku didn't leave a note."  
  
"Yes he did. When he killed... Oh... Oops... We forgot to tell you, didn't we?" Kagome looked at Sango, who gasped.  
  
"Oh my gosh, we did!"  
  
"What is it you forgot to tell me?" SesshoMaru growled, becoming impatient.  
  
"Apparently... You've killed Kaede, the only witness outside of the shooting..."  
  
"I DID WHAT!?"  
  
"Yeah um... Naraku's framed another murder on you..."  
  
"AND WHY DID YOU FAIL TO TELL ME THIS!?"  
  
"Well, there was just so much commotion with explaining everything to Shippou and buying you that new car... and then meeting Naraku... It just sort of... slipped my mind..."  
  
"SLIPPED...YOUR MIND!?"  
  
"Heh, heh... oops?"  
  
"OOPS!? OOPS!? I'VE JUST BEEN FRAMED!... AGAIN!!!"  
  
"Yes well, that seems to be happening a lot lately, doesn't it?" Kagome laughed innocently. Sango and Shippou tried to tiptoe away from the feuding two.  
  
"JESUS KAGOME!"  
  
"Why is this all happening to me all at once? Naraku, the rent, the god damned cow..." Kagome muttered, ignoring the screaming man.  
  
"Well, uh... Bye you two! Shippou and I decided to go to the station, just like you said, to get away from... I mean, to look over the letter Naraku left... Uh... Bye!" Sango and Shippou jumped into SesshoMaru's BMW and tore down the street without a second glance, relieved to be out of hearing range from SesshoMaru and Kagome for the time being. They'd had enough of the two always fighting. And this one looked like it was going to be a long battle...  
  
Kagome and SesshoMaru continued to argue in Toutousai's front yard, Momo mooing along with the rhythm of their voices.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"I'm sorry." Kagome finally sighed, lifting the weight off of her shoulders as the cruised down the highway, the cow jostling behind them in the trailer. She glanced over at SesshoMaru, who was growling in the passenger seat, and put a comforting hand on his knee. "Don't worry, Sessho. I'll prove that you're innocent." She smiled. SesshoMaru ceased his growling and looked at her, drinking in her genuine smile and kindness.  
  
"No... I'm the one that should be sorry... I've been tough on you this whole time while you've let me into your home. I'm sorry... about everything. You know that right?" He grasped her hand in his and squeezed it. Kagome's smile never left.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It was really all a huge misunderstanding if you think about it." She exclaimed as SesshoMaru released her hand so she could place it back on the steering wheel.  
  
"One big ball of chaotic misunderstandings." SesshoMaru grumbled. Kagome nodded in agreement.  
  
"I am going to officially retire after all of this. I'll have enough money... I'll go to Honolulu of something, and live the life I never had. All of this fast paced stuff... It really gets to you, ya know?" She sighed. SesshoMaru took another look at her and realized just how tired she really was. She was paler than usual, and dark circles were beginning to form under her eyes. Her movements were slow, and she no longer had the graceful cat air about her... More like an old turtle. No offense to her or anything...  
  
"I don't think you're going to be able to get away that easily." He suddenly said, making Kagome glance at him.  
  
"And why not?" She growled.  
  
"You're engaged, remember?" SesshoMaru replied softly. Kagome stared at him for a moment, before recognition hit her. She looked down at the ring on her left ring finger warily, biting her lip.  
  
"Oh yeah... I keep... keep forgetting..." She trailed off. SesshoMaru watched the motions play across her face, and once again wondered why she had said yes to InuYasha. Did she really love him? He would've asked her but... that was really all she needed right now. So he kept his mouth shut. But she surprised him by continuing.  
  
"You know, it's funny too. Because this should be a happy time. I should be planning the wedding with Sango and my mother... picking out my dress... spending every free moment with my fiancé..." She sighed, a little bitterly. "But instead I haven't even asked Sango how her night with Miroku went, haven't talked to my mother in a month, haven't been shopping in weeks much less changed from this pair of clothes in days, and at the moment my fiancé is cruising around who knows where in his new corvette... and then I'm..." She stopped, and shook her head. "Sorry. I shouldn't be pouring my heart out like this..." She grinned weakly at SesshoMaru. "Bounty hunters are supposed to be strong. I chose this life. I'm happy..."  
  
SesshoMaru gazed at her. There was so much underneath her bubbly, happy exterior. He never knew she was feeling this way...  
  
"And then I came around and screwed everything up for you..." He snorted. "Some guy I am. To put all of this pressure on you right when everything is going down hill. Staying at your apartment, bumming rides and money, having you prove my innocence..." SesshoMaru glanced at his driver, who was staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were turning white. But, she still smiled.  
  
"Oh, it's no bother, really! I mean, you're protecting me from Naraku in return, and letting me keep this really expensive ring when you could've just taken off with it..." She grinned at him. It was fake, and Kagome knew it. She searched his eyes, trying to see if he was buying it, and realized... that he wasn't. Her smile dropped, and tears welled up in her eyes. She pulled over onto the side of the road, and stopped the car. The two sat in silence, until...  
  
"I don't even know why I try and hide it around you..." Kagome whispered to SesshoMaru, not even looking at him, but at the dashboard before her. A single tear ran down her face, but she ignored it. "You've always been able to see right through me... Sessho." She smirked softly, and turned to the fugitive. "I don't know what to do anymore... I'm so... so lost..." Finally, the dam broke, and water spilled from her eyes onto the leather seats. Kagome buried her face into her hands and cried. SesshoMaru didn't quite know what to do, but he let his instincts take over, and pulled the sobbing Kagome into his arms. As he hugged her, he stroked her raven hair tenderly as she cried all over his black shirt.  
  
"Maybe... You and InuYasha just weren't meant to be..." SesshoMaru cooed quietly in her ear. Kagome shook her head no on reflex.  
  
"But I... I... He loves me." She whimpered, not having the ability to say that she felt the same way for him. "It's nice, the feeling of being loved..." Her crying began to subside.  
  
"Yes, it is." SesshoMaru agreed, and then detangled Kagome out of his arms to look at her. He wiped a lingering tear from her cheek with his fore finger, and smiled. "But wouldn't it be so much better, if you felt the same way about him?"  
  
Kagome stared at him, or rather, into his startling golden eyes.  
  
' When you call me that... Sessho... It's just like old times.'  
  
'Oh InuYasha... Why aren't you here? Why aren't you the one comforting me?'  
  
Kagome suddenly pulled away, and started up the car. SesshoMaru blinked in surprise at her sudden actions. She wiped away any remaining tears, sniffed, and pulled out.  
  
"I'm making real macaroni tonight. How does that sound? I promise I won't make you eat it off the floor this time!" Kagome grinned at SesshoMaru. He gave her a slow and hesitant nod, and her smiled brightened. "Great! It'll just be me and you for a couple of hours, and then I'll tell Sango and Shippou to swing by and we'll go over what they found out."  
  
SesshoMaru sighed, but let her have another nod. Kagome glanced at him, her smile fading.  
  
"And uh... Thanks... for back there, I mean." She coughed, then grinned again. "Sometimes you just need a shoulder to cry on, you know!?" She laughed.  
  
'So now I've been reduced to a shoulder...'  
  
Momo mooed.  
  
====  
  
mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
====  
  
"What's this?" SesshoMaru smirked, picking up the little plastic business card that was lying on the kitchen counter. Kagome blushed and snatched it from his hand, but not before he could read what it said.  
  
"Kirei Kitty?" He snickered.  
  
"Shut up. It was Miroku's idea." She huffed, turning back around to her pot of macaroni that she was supposed to be stirring occasionally.  
  
"Are you the only one with a codename?" He asked her, flipping through the mail that had been lying next to the piece of plastic.  
  
"No, I'm not. And did you know that it's very rude to go snooping through other people's mail?" She growled back at him. SesshoMaru retracted his hands and held them up in a surrendering position.  
  
"EXCUSE me. Just trying to get acquainted with my surroundings." He smirked. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't see what that has to do with going through my mail." She retorted. SesshoMaru sneered back at her.  
  
"Can I take a shower?" He suddenly asked, turning around to face her. Kagome looked over her shoulder at the man, and wrinkled her nose.  
  
"Yes, god, please do. I was wondering when you were going to take one." She said sarcastically. SesshoMaru ignored the rest of the sentence after 'yes' and sauntered into the bathroom.  
  
"By the way, I didn't bring any soap or shampoo, so I'll have to use yours." He stuck his head out of the bathroom with a grin. Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled back at him.  
  
"That's okay. Just don't use it all. I know that you like to use at least half the bottle in one wash..." She stated absently. SesshoMaru stared at her. She remembered that? He shook his head and closed the bathroom door.  
  
Kagome almost smacked herself when she heard the water running in the bathroom.  
  
'Why had I said that?' She grimaced. 'Jesus, Kagome. Get a grip...' She sighed and stared at the macaroni that was slowly bubbling in the pot. Suddenly, it sputtered and shot hot water at her face.  
  
"GAH!" Kagome leapt back in surprise and clawed at her face. It burned! She growled and loomed over the pot.  
  
"Are you mocking me?" She questioned angrily. The boiling macaroni bubbled even higher and spewed more scalding water all over her face and neck. Kagome screeched, took the pot in hand, and poured it all down the drain.  
  
"TAKE THAT!" She screamed at it as the almost cooked dull yellow pasta slid down the sink. Steam made a mushroom cloud towards her face, and she received a semi-facial. Once it was all gone, Kagome still stood there, pot in hand, fuming and breathing a little harder then usual. She blinked, realized what she had done, and began to laugh.  
  
"What the hell is going on!!!" SesshoMaru ran out of the bathroom, a towel barely covering his lower waist. His hair wasn't even wet yet, and he saw Kagome laughing over by the sink, empty pot in hand. She turned around and gasped, dropping the pot.  
  
"WHOA! Holy gods you have a nice... I mean... nothings going on!" Kagome's laughter ceased as she saw SesshoMaru's nicely toned muscles before her. He had been fit when they were in high school but... DAMN. She looked at SesshoMaru's abs, and then the pot on the floor, then she focused on his muscles again, and slowly looked up to his face.  
  
"I believe you are doing what is called 'undressing with the eyes'..." SesshoMaru quirked an eyebrow, a grin on his face. Kagome blushed.  
  
"I most certainly was NOT! I'm getting married, REMEMBER!" She cried out, surprised that SHE had remembered.  
  
"Where'd the macaroni go?" SesshoMaru changed the subject.  
  
"Oh uh... we had a little fight so... I threw it down the drain..." Kagome scratched the back of her head and laughed innocently. SesshoMaru stared at her strangely. "HEY the macaroni was mocking me!" She protested.  
  
"The macaroni was... are you okay, Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah... sure. Look, you go take your shower, and I'll just order us a pizza, 'kay?" Kagome grinned, and picked up the phone. Black Jack was on speed dial, so it wasn't long before Kagome was placing her order. SesshoMaru shrugged and went back to his shower. Outside in the front lawn, lots of floors down (I forget how many if I've already said...), Momo mooed again. Kagome mooed back. Ha, ha, just kidding. THAT was a joke.  
  
====  
  
mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
====  
  
"So when are you coming home?" SesshoMaru was listening through the bathroom door at a phone conversation Kagome was obviously having with InuYasha. He had just stepped out of the shower when the phone rang, and decided to eaves drop once he heard his half-brother's name.  
  
"Uh huh... sure... Look InuYasha, I need you here if we're going to go through with this..." Kagome chastised her fiancé. "What you mean 'go through what'!? Have you already forgotten!?"  
  
SesshoMaru winced. Bad move on InuYasha's part.  
  
"Yeah, you better be sorry... What's wrong with me? Oh I dunno, maybe it's that you asked me to marry you in a sushi bar and then left ten seconds later, and I don't even really know where you are!"  
  
A pause.  
  
"Oh thanks. 'California' is a lot of help. That's a very big state, InuYasha... I know you're busy... HEY you're the one that called ME bucko... Oh, and I know about this ring!"  
  
Another pause. SesshoMaru growled. She wasn't going to say anything about it's real worth, was she?  
  
"Yeah, don't think I wouldn't have found out! You know I always find out everything! You bought this, at a PAWNSHOP!? That really says a lot about how you feel about me..."  
  
SesshoMaru sighed in relief, and then smirked. She was really letting his brother have it.  
  
"No, just... just stop. I have to go... I have company over."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Does it really matter who?" Kagome snapped at the phone. "... Yes, InuYasha. I forgot to tell you I'm having an affair with Miroku. We had a very kinky night last night..." She exclaimed sarcastically.  
  
SesshoMaru stepped out of the bathroom in only his towel once again, and saw Kagome standing in the kitchen with her back to him, holding the phone away from her ear while InuYasha screamed on the other end. She sighed, and looked down at the phone in her hand, then pressed a button. The screaming stopped, cut off mid sentence, and Kagome brought the phone to her chest.  
  
He stood there, watching her, wondering what she would do. The girl heaved a sigh, hung up the phone, straightened, and turned around with a smile.  
  
"Oh, hey! Um... Pizza's here!" She exclaimed happily, indicating to the pizza box on the kitchen counter behind her. "And I called Sango and Shippou... they're on their way over now..." Her voice wavered as SesshoMaru made no move for the pizza, not a flicker of emotion at all. He just stood there stoically, staring at her.  
  
"They said... uh... They wrote down all of what the letter said... and they found out more about the Kaede murder but... that won't help us much really... unless we can find out if Naraku... made... a... mistake..." She hesitated as SesshoMaru suddenly stepped towards her, and entered the kitchen.  
  
"And... I ordered uh... peppero...ni..." Kagome stopped when SesshoMaru halted not a foot away from her, his expression still emotionless.  
  
"Kagome, for once... Don't be fake with me. You even said it; I have always had the ability to see right through you. To see the pain that lingers underneath your façade. Didn't you know, didn't anyone ever tell you..." He put his arms around Kagome's shoulders, drawing her in for a tight hug. Kagome gasped, keeping her arms at her sides and SesshoMaru whispered in her ear, "...It's okay to cry."  
  
Kagome bit her lip, wondering why he was doing this. And why she was letting him.  
  
A sudden jostling at the front door from Sango's keys sent Kagome jumping out of his arms, and she looked up at him. Shaking her head with a sigh, she waited for her bounty hunter friends to enter the apartment.  
  
"Hey guys! What's for dinner!?" Sango cried out, stepping into the kitchen and throwing the keys on the counter. She stopped her cheery greeting when she saw SesshoMaru growl, storming off into the bathroom, and Kagome staring at the pizza, yet, not seeing it. Shippou entered and looked around. He glanced up at Sango in question, and all she could do was shrug.  
  
"Was it something I said?"  
  
Chapter Six  
  
"So they still haven't found the murder weapon, but they suspect it was done with a baseball bat?" Kagome asked through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. Sango nodded, wiping grease off of her chin. Her and Shippou had already relayed what they had found to a STILL grumpy SesshoMaru and a curious Kagome, chatting between bites of black jack pizza.  
  
"Yes. Don't ask me why. No one told me exactly..." Sango sighed. "They weren't very keen on the details..."  
  
"Someone really doesn't want us to know anything juicy about this..." Kagome growled, thinking about Kikyou. "I'm positive someone is helping Naraku up at the station, keeping info and clues at bay..." She shook her head in frustration. "It's Kikyou! I just know it!" Kagome brought her fist down onto the table, making her and Shippou's plates clatter. SesshoMaru and Sango had already lifted theirs into the air, knowing what was coming. They carefully set them back down while she was still fuming, and continued eating.  
  
"So the letter... what did it say?" SesshoMaru suddenly questioned in a deep voice, startling everyone. Sango narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"I have a feeling that you know something we don't about this letter. You've been ignoring our talk all night, until one of us mentions that little piece of evidence... You DID write that letter, I checked the handwritten test myself. There's no denying it."  
  
SesshoMaru stared unemotionally at Sango, not giving her an answer.  
  
"I think you're being paranoid, Sango." Kagome piped up, standing up to put her cleared plate into the sink. "Naraku obviously either forged SesshoMaru's handwriting, or had someone else do it for him."  
  
"I don't think so." SesshoMaru growled, shaking his head. Kagome blinked and turned around to him.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't think so?"  
  
"Think about it... There's a sort of pattern to what Naraku is doing... Every clue he leaves behind, I've used against him in some way. He's manipulating my earlier attacks against him, and changing it all around so they make sense at the murder scenes of Kaede and Kagura."  
  
"...I still don't get it." Kagome looked at Sango, who shrugged in reply. Shippou looked slightly less perplexed than the girls did.  
  
"So what you're saying is... You've used that sword of yours against Naraku once, and he used it to kill Kagura. That's one thing he's taken of yours and then turned him against you. And the other thing is... the letter?" Shippou guessed, looking up at the older man. He nodded.  
  
"Precisely. Go ahead and read the letter, Sango." SesshoMaru urged, glancing at the bounty hunter. Sango looked to Kagome, who nodded slightly, so she took out a piece of paper folded in her pocket.  
  
"HEY! That's the real thing! You were just supposed to write it down!" Shippou protested, watching while Sango unfolded the paper.  
  
"Yeah I swiped it when no one was looking. A lot less work than re-writing the whole damn thing." She grumbled. Kagome snickered and Sango began to recite the letter.  
  
"I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed my antics, and I, being the gentleman that I am, will tell you to be prepared, for there is much more where that came from. This is far from over. I intend to avenge my family and my name, and you will be the last, but longest person to suffer. I will get you, and everyone else that helped you. I am no coward." Suddenly she stopped, and then looked up from the paper. "And that's it. The rest is torn off the bottom."  
  
Kagome looked at SesshoMaru with a smirk.  
  
"You wrote that?"  
  
"Yes. The letter continues to say to meet me at Sakura Square and that we will settle our differences. That was the note I gave to Naraku the night before he killed his sister. The night he decided to get his revenge on me." He nodded grimly, remembering. Kagome tried to hold down at laugh.  
  
"What!?" SesshoMaru growled at her.  
  
"Sorry... mph... it's just... so cheesy!" She giggled. "' I am no coward!' " Kagome mimicked his deep voice, and then saw everyone's serious faces. "Oh uh... sorry... didn't know the funeral procession was coming through this room." She moped.  
  
"ANYWAYS... Back to the problem at hand... The police think SesshoMaru's talking about more murders... They've practically deemed him an insane homicidal maniac up at the station..." Sango sighed.  
  
'Probably all thanks to Kikyou.' Kagome thought to herself as she frowned.  
  
"The fabric from my dress shirt, the hair that was found... that can be obtained easily enough. Either from my apartment or what not..." SesshoMaru added suddenly, pushing his plate away. He'd lost his appetite.  
  
"This still isn't getting us anywhere." Shippou pointed out, making everyone else nod. "So what if we know Naraku is using SesshoMaru's stuff against him, it doesn't help us at all!"  
  
"Unless we know what he might use next... then maybe we could figure out who he is going to attack next, and catch him in the act." Kagome mused. She turned back to SesshoMaru. "Naraku seems to be using things that have anything to do with the night of the Sakura Square incident. What else do you think he might be able to use against you?"  
  
Silence cloaked the room as SesshoMaru thought this over. After a while, he sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Nothing. I can't think of anything. I didn't give him or threaten him with anything else."  
  
"So it's a dead end." Kagome grimaced, taking a seat.  
  
"And we're right back where we started." Sango put her head in her hands. "This is ridiculous. We're bounty hunters, not crime fighting detectives."  
  
"From what I've seen, there's not much of a difference." Shippou exclaimed. "You get your papers, figure out where your bounty head is, and then track him or her down. That's pretty much what detectives do."  
  
"Shut up, Shippou." Kagome growled. "You aren't helping. Rule number... Aw fuck it." She smacked her head onto the table. Shippou and SesshoMaru sweat dropped at the two girls and their lack of enthusiasm.  
  
Sango slowly lifted her head and stood, stretching as she did so.  
  
"Come on Shippou, I'll drive you home. It's getting late." She offered, grabbing her car keys off of the kitchen counter.  
  
"Oh, that's okay. I don't want to make you go anywhere... sorry I don't have my own car... I can't afford one." Shippou replied innocently.  
  
"Nonsense. I have somewhere to be, anyways." Sango smiled, and opened the door to the apartment. Kagome lifted her head at that.  
  
"Where are you going?" She looked up at her friend.  
  
"To Miroku's... we have to um... go over... something, okay? BYE!" She yanked Shippou out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. Kagome blinked.  
  
"Wow. So those two really did hit it off then." She grinned. "It's about time."  
  
SesshoMaru stared at her out of the corner of his eye, simply watching her movements as she cleared the table and threw away the pizza box.  
  
"Why is it that we always end up alone in this apartment?" He suddenly grinned, scooting backwards out of his chair. Kagome glared at him.  
  
"Don't you get any ideas." She scolded, rinsing off a dish. A halo appeared over SesshoMaru's head and his eyes glittered.  
  
"I would NEVER do such a thing!" He protested. Kagome snorted.  
  
"Bull shit." Suddenly, the water from the faucet sputtered and turned off, and the lights flickered, then went out. "What the hell...?" Kagome glanced around the darkness.  
  
"Someone's turned off the power." SesshoMaru observed. Kagome groaned.  
  
"Aw man! Takeda! That ass hole! Just because we haven't paid the rent doesn't mean we don't live here!"  
  
SesshoMaru sighed, and promptly ran into the kitchen counter. He cursed as he hopped around the room, holding his foot, and then ran into the couch.  
  
"Stop running into things!" Kagome yelled at him.  
  
"I'm not doing it on fucking purpose!!!"  
  
"Jesus... Hang on, I'll get some candles." Kagome's voice receded into the darkness as she went into her bedroom. "Then I'll go downstairs and pound Takeda."  
  
SesshoMaru was in the middle of damning the couch to hell when Kagome screamed. He immediately ran towards her voice, bumping into walls and furniture on his way.  
  
"KAGOME! What is it?! What's wrong!?" He cried out, tumbling into the girl's room and then into Kagome. She sobbed, and turned away, shaking her head in her hands, taking in deep breaths. SesshoMaru peered into the darkness and hissed at what he saw.  
  
Kouga was spread out on Kagome's bed, his arms and legs twisted into impossible angles. He was lying on his stomach, but his head was them, bone and sinew showing through his neck. Deep crimson seeped into the blanket and bed sheets as the dead bounty hunter bled profusely. Stabbed through his heart was a small pointed object, holding a reddening piece of paper. The bedroom window was open, a slight breeze making the white satin curtains billow over the dead body.  
  
SesshoMaru gently pushed Kagome out into the hallway, and stepped up to Kouga, his gaze running over the boy's mangled body. His eyes were wide open, the whites piercing the black and reaching SesshoMaru. The smell of new coins slammed into SesshoMaru's nose, it's source being the Kouga's pouring blood. SesshoMaru reached down at gripped the thing pinning the note to Kouga's chest, and yanked it out with a sickening sound that almost made gag. He took the note in hand and quickly read it.  
  
Suddenly, his eyes flashed with anger, and he stormed out of the room, yanking a stunned Kagome behind him.  
  
"What... what is it? What does it say?" She asked meekly, letting herself be dragged to the couch. SesshoMaru sat her down and crumpled the letter into his fist. He then slammed his closed fist into the wall, leaving a dent that made the white plaster shake off onto them. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising up and down with his movements like waves.  
  
"It was Naraku, wasn't it?" Kagome whispered, staring at the carpet. "He killed Kouga." She looked up at SesshoMaru for an affirmation. He glanced at her, his mouth set into a tight line, and nodded.  
  
"THAT BASTARD!!!" She screamed suddenly, jumping up from the couch, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "He's toying with us! Trying to get a rise out of us! WELL, IT WORKED YOU SICK FUCK!!!" Kagome trembled in fury, fire shooting out of her eyes. "He's killed three people in the last three days, and one was his own sister! Now, he's killed one of my closet friends. I SWEAR TO GOD THAT HE WILL PAY!!!" She screeched, sprinting over to the table and snatching up the keys to SesshoMaru's BMW. She was out the door and down the hall before SesshoMaru could stop her.  
  
"Kagome! WAIT. What in the hell do you think you're doing!?" He yelled at her, grabbing onto her arm in a fierce grip. Kagome shook him off.  
  
"What I should have done at the beginning of all of this! I'm going to blow that mother fucker's brains out!!!" She cried, taking her gun out of its holster on her jeans. She hadn't taken it off since that morning. Kagome began to run for the stairs but SesshoMaru made another grab for her.  
  
"YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!" He ordered, pulling her to him. "Naraku is coming after you next, and I sure as hell aren't going to let you run right into his hands. No fucking way." He growled at Kagome, their faces inches apart as SesshoMaru gripped the neck of her shirt. He opened his fist to show the crumpled letter still clutched into his hands. "This note says for ME to meet HIM. And I'm going. This will end!"  
  
Kagome stared at him, her eyes searching his.  
  
"I'm coming with you." She exclaimed, putting her hands over his so he would let go of her. "I won't let you do this alone."  
  
"No." SesshoMaru instantly retorted, shaking his head. "This is my fight. I shouldn't have dragged you into it in the first place."  
  
"You didn't drag me into this! I came along myself! We have a deal, remember!"  
  
"And I plan to fulfill that deal by killing Naraku, TONIGHT." SesshoMaru grabbed the keys out of Kagome's hand, and whirled around. He made a mistake, however. He forgot about her gun.  
  
Cold metal pressed against his back, and the man straightened at the sensation. He turned his head slightly, and saw Kagome positioned behind him, her gun pressing against his shirt.  
  
"I... am going... with you!" She growled, not moving her weapon.  
  
"Kagome..." SesshoMaru made to turn around, but she pressed her silver shooter even harder into him. He stopped.  
  
"Tell me, that you'll let me go with you." She ordered. SesshoMaru said nothing.  
  
"TELL ME!!!"  
  
Still, there was silence. Until...  
  
"...Alright. You can come." SesshoMaru gave in, and felt Kagome's gun drop. He growled and suddenly sprung around, knocking her gun out of her hand and pinning Kagome to the wall.  
  
"You tricked me!" She gasped, and then began to struggle in his arms. "You son of a bitch!"  
  
"Kagome..." SesshoMaru sighed, forcing Kagome to look at him when she would not. He stared into her blue/gray eyes, trying to make her understand. "You can't come with me. If something were to happen to you..." He shook his head, not even wanting to think about it. "I go alone."  
  
"But... but what if..." Kagome tried to protest, but was lost in his eyes. A sea of gold... SesshoMaru gazed at her, and then succumbed to his feelings. He leaned in while at the same time pulling her up to him with the use of his strong hands. He took her lips with his, and kissed her. Kagome instantly closed her eyes and returned the affection. God, how long had she been waiting for that?  
  
Actually, it had only been three days since she saw SesshoMaru for the first time since they broke up... Wow. Seemed like forever...  
  
SesshoMaru was the first to break away. He backed Kagome up into her apartment, and shut the door.  
  
"HEY!" Kagome yelled from behind the wooden barrier. "You cheater!!!"  
  
SesshoMaru smirked as he pulled a chair from the hallway and stuck it under the door handle. She'd have problems getting out of that. Kagome jiggled the knob on her side back and forth, but couldn't make it budge.  
  
"SESSHOMARU!! LET ME OUT!! YOU FUCKING DICK!! COME ON!!" She screamed from the other side, banging against the door.  
  
"Don't come after me, Kagome." He whispered at her, and then ran down the stairs, keys in hand and determination etched into his face. This would end, and it would end tonight. Too many innocent people were getting hurt, and now Naraku had threatened that Kagome would be next. He wasn't going to let that happen. Naraku wouldn't take away the only person left on the whole fucking planet... that he loved.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Kagome sighed on the other side of her apartment door, her heart racing as she felt the lingering tingle of SesshoMaru's lips against hers.  
  
"Wow..." She smirked. "So technically, I just sort of kind of cheated on InuYasha..." Her face fell as she thought this over, but she couldn't help the smile from returning. "And DAMN did it feel good!"  
  
Kagome shook her head in a daze, trying to snap out of it. .  
  
"Think, Kagome..." She whispered to herself. "Kouga's lying dead in your bed, and SesshoMaru's off to kill a guy... Wait! SesshoMaru can't kill Naraku! That won't solve anything, and then he'll REALLY be wanted for murder!" Kagome winced. "I have to stop him. I won't let him throw his life away like this..." The girl once again tried to open her front door, but it was still jammed.  
  
"Damnit!" She hissed, and then calmed herself down so she could think. "...My bedroom window! I could climb down the fire escape! But wait... Do I really want to...?" Kagome glanced down the hallway towards her room, where she knew the bloody mess of Kouga lay. "Oh, Kouga...He must have found out something... and then tried to tell someone... only Naraku got to him first. Damn! If only SesshoMaru would have let me see that note!" She bit her lip and slowly made her way to her bedroom, not anticipating the sight inside at all.  
  
"I wish the lights were working... or that someone was with me..." Kagome quietly admitted to herself. This was the first time in awhile that she was REALLY scared. The other time was when SesshoMaru had accidentally shot her...  
  
On a second, thought, Kagome darted to the kitchen and grabbed her cell phone. She thought about dialing the police, but what could she tell them? They would think SesshoMaru did it, and then ask her if he was in her apartment. She'd have to say yes, and then explain everything... and that would take years. So instead she called Sango, who was on speed dial. After a few rings, her friend finally picked up.  
  
"H-Hello?" She sounded out of breath.  
  
"Sango! Hey, we have a major problem..." Kagome's voice cracked as tears came to her eyes. If Sango's attention was elsewhere, it was now fully on Kagome.  
  
"What? What is it? Are you okay?" She questioned hastily, worried.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine... look, I don't have time to tell the whole story but... Kouga's dead."  
  
"...Kouga's...dead?" Sango gasped. A male voice could suddenly be heard in the background.  
  
"Who's dead? Who's dead? Did you say Kouga?"  
  
"Is that Miroku?" Kagome asked hurriedly, wanting to catch up with SesshoMaru. Wait! She didn't know where he was going! God damn it!!!  
  
"Yeah, yeah it is. We were uh..."  
  
"Look, I don't care if you guys were making kids, alright!? Kouga's dead and it was Naraku's doing. He left the ... he left the body... on my damn bed!!! Now SesshoMaru's going after him. Sango... he's going to kill Naraku." She croaked, cradling the phone to her ear. "He's going to throw everything away, just for revenge! We have to stop him!"  
  
Sango paused, trying to think. Kagome could picture her chewing on her bottom lip, sorting out things to be done in her mind.  
  
"Sango..."  
  
"I'll be there in ten." Sango interrupted. Kagome heard a slight protesting in the background, and her friend continued. "And Miroku's coming too."  
  
"Alright. I'll be waiting out front with Momo. I can't... I can't stay in here."  
  
"Okay. I'm so sorry, honey. This is horrible."  
  
"Poor Kouga... his body is so... so twisted..." Kagome choked out, and then took a deep breath. "I think he might have found something out about Naraku, and then Naraku did away with him. There was a note pinned to his body but... SesshoMaru took it. He said it had something about Naraku wanting to meet SesshoMaru, or I was going to be next... something like that. I never got to read it."  
  
"Don't worry. We'll be over there as soon as we can. Don't worry..." Sango repeated. Kagome smiled slightly, nodding.  
  
"Hurry please."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Bye. See you soon." And Sango hung up. Kagome sighed deeply, and shoved her phone into her pocket. She took in another deep breath, and walked into her room, shutting her eyes and turning her head away from the sight on her bed. She blindly walked towards the window, and grappled at the frame. Opening her eyes, she saw the black fire escape that Naraku had probably used to get Kouga into her room. Grimacing, she hoisted herself onto the platform and began her descent, careful not to look over at Kouga.  
  
Once she reached the bottom, Kagome jumped down from the fire escape and ran to the front of the apartment building. Momo mooed when she rounded the corner.  
  
"Hey, girl." Kagome cooed, and draped her arms around the cow's neck. She desperately needed to hug someone... and right now, the only warm body that would allow her to hug him or her was the cow. Kagome absently stroked Momo's back as tears ran down her cheeks. Even with her eyes closed, she could see Kouga's lifeless and mutilated body, staring up at her with the whites of his eyes.  
  
"Kouga..." She whispered. "We should have told you about Naraku... Then maybe, this wouldn't have happened." Kagome sobbed into the cow's neck for a long while, drowning her sorrows in tears. She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Kagome?" It was Sango's voice. Kagome detangled herself from Momo and looked up. Sango and Miroku had arrived, and were staring sadly at her. She let out another gut wrenching sob and the two girls hugged each other.  
  
"I hate this! You think you can handle anything... but then one day you realize... you just can't!" Kagome cried into Sango's blouse.  
  
"Shh... It's okay..." Sango whispered as tears of her own splashed into Kagome's hair. Miroku stepped up to them and wrapped them both in a hug, and this time he had no intentions of groping either one of them. His own eyes were shining with unshed tears. (Aw... sniffles Group hug!!! Pass the tissues...)  
  
Finally Kagome stepped back from them, wiping away her tears with her arm.  
  
"I have to go after him... have to stop him... But I don't know where it was that he went!" She cried out in frustration, one emotion replacing itself for another. Miroku and Sango exchanged helpless looks.  
  
"Okay... let's just forget about recent horrors, and deal with one thing at a time." Miroku stated calmly, grabbing Sango's hand and squeezing it. "Sango tells me Naraku left a note telling SesshoMaru to meet him at some place... all we have to do, is figure out where that is."  
  
"Shouldn't we get the police...?" Sango asked softly. Miroku shook his head.  
  
"How would we explain SesshoMaru?"  
  
"That's why I didn't call them earlier." Kagome nodded. Sango sighed in agreement.  
  
"Okay... So we need to find someone that would know where Naraku would want to meet SesshoMaru... someone that works for him. So far the only people we know that have that job is..."  
  
"Kanna and Kagura. And one of them is dead. The other..." Miroku shrugged. "... is probably with Naraku at this very moment. We have no idea where she might be."  
  
Kagome bit her lip, and then her face darkened.  
  
"Kikyou..." She exclaimed quietly. Miroku and Sango glanced at their friend.  
  
"But we don't know for sure that she's..." Sango started, but was instantly cut off.  
  
"What other choice do we have? We know that someone's been helping Naraku out at the station, and the only person I can think of is Kikyou." Kagome retorted. "Who else could it be?"  
  
Miroku hesitated, but then gave in.  
  
"She's right. Kikyou has access to everything at police headquarters, and she was the one that ran all of the tests... And also..."  
  
"She doesn't have a heart." Sango finished for him, realizing it for herself. "That is the one things that should make her our first suspect. You ARE right, Kagome."  
  
"Then lets go. We can't let SesshoMaru do this..." Kagome turned on her heel and the others followed her back to Sango's convertible. Sango threw her the keys, and climbed into the passenger seat while Kagome took her place at the driver's side. Miroku slid into the back.  
  
"I need a gun. Mine's laying in the hallway outside the apartment." Kagome suddenly stated, turning around to Miroku.  
  
"I have mine, but not an extra one. Sorry." He looked at her. Kagome sighed and turned to Sango.  
  
"Always keep my spare in the glove compartment." Sango grinned. She flicked the switch on the small black space under the dashboard and out fell an old school revolver. "This baby's from the early 1900's, so be nice. Oh, and be conservative too. It only has one round of four bullets." She handed the gun to Kagome, who nodded and shoved it into her holster.  
  
"I just hope I don't get the urge to use them all on Kikyou." She smiled bitterly, and revved the engine into life.  
  
'Sessho... Don't do anything stupid.'  
  
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mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
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Elsewhere...  
  
SesshoMaru straightened out the bloodied note that had pinned to Kouga's body on the dashboard, growling as he re-read it. He crumpled it back up and threw it behind him, then made a sharp left turn.  
  
"Naraku, you fucking bastard. You've had your fun. Now it's time to deal with me."  
  
====  
  
mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
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Kikyou's house wasn't hard to find. After all, Kagome had driven by it almost every day on her way to work, and would always see her midnight blue sedan parked in front of the large Victorian beauty of the old side of town . As the bounty hunters and their boss parked next to the sidewalk, Kagome couldn't help suppress a feeling of dread that wanted to wash over her. If she wasn't right about this, they might never catch SesshoMaru in time.  
  
Turning off the ignition, she climbed out of the car, Miroku and Sango right behind her. It was almost mid night, and Kikyou would think it a little suspicious that three hunters were crawling underneath her window, trying to break into her humble abode, so they decided to take the easier option and simply... ring the doorbell.  
  
Kagome's finger left the bell, and a soft ring enveloped the house. They waited for a bit, but no one came to the door.  
  
"If she slept through that, I will personally shove my gun up her..."  
  
"Look!" Sango hissed, interrupting Kagome's threat as she pointed to the window above them. Miroku and Kagome instantly glanced up, and caught the sight of a retreating form, the blue curtains of the window stirring slightly at the person's movements.  
  
"Was that..."  
  
"Yeah, it was Kikyou. And she saw us. No doubt she's freakin' out right now wondering what we're doing here..." Sango sighed, glancing back at the door.  
  
"Well she's about to find out." Miroku growled, pushing the girl's aside and taking his shoulder to the door. He slammed his body against it, and then reeled back in pain. "OW! Shit, that is a strong mutha fucking door..." The man rubbed his shoulder and winced. Sango stifled a giggle.  
  
"Stand back, kids." Kagome sneered, drawing out the 1900's revolver. Miroku and Sango quickly obliged to her request, retreating down the front steps. Kagome aimed, and fired, and the lock to the door was blown sky high. She grinned, and blew the smoke from the tip of her weapon. "This gun, is WAY cool."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, give it a rest Sharpshooter Jan and kick the damn door open." Sango ordered. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"That really isn't necessary." She exclaimed, and stepped up to the door. She pressed her finger against it and pushed slightly. It swung open. Kagome turned around to face her friends smugly.  
  
"Shut up..." Sango mumbled, passing by Kagome into the house, her gun drawn.  
  
"We'd better hurry..." Miroku advised, glancing up and down the street. "Someone HAD to hear that... and they're probably gonna call the pigs." He shook his head and entered.  
  
Kagome nodded in agreement and followed them, shutting the door behind her. No reason why they should leave a wide-open exit for Kikyou if she wanted to escape. Though, since Kagome had just blown the lock all the way to Seattle, it didn't really matter.  
  
The three all had their weapons in hand, as they stealthily climbed the flight of stairs before them, heading for the floor Sango had seen Kikyou on.  
  
"I seriously HATE dark creepy houses like this..." Sango grumbled, first in line in front of Miroku.  
  
"Yeah well, it suits Kikyou perfectly." Kagome grimaced. Miroku snorted.  
  
All of the lights were off, and the hunters had trouble seeing anything. However, there was one thing Miroku could find even if he was blind.  
  
"EEK!" Sango shrieked, running up two or three more steps away from the man. She was holding her bottom and glaring at him. "GOD! Don't DO that here! That was totally inappropriate!!! Not to mention you scared the daylights outta me!!!"  
  
Miroku chuckled.  
  
"Sorry, it couldn't be helped."  
  
"Well you better contain yourself, hentai. We're on a mission here. You're the boss, so stick to procedure!" Kagome growled at the man.  
  
"There are no procedures to bounty hunting." He protested.  
  
"I meant the procedures to decent conduct! Now MOVE!" She whispered harshly. Miroku sighed, but continued up the steps.  
  
"You three sure are loud for bounty hunters." Someone sneered above them. Kagome glanced up in surprise and saw Kikyou positioned at the top of the stairs, gun in hand and pointing straight at her!  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Kagome's eyes widened as she realized the position she was in. Kikyou was on higher ground, and therefore had the upper hand at the moment. Damn... But she had to get her to talk.  
  
"So, Kikyou..." Kagome climbed up a step, making Miroku and Sango blink in surprise. What the hell was she doing!? Just because she'd survived a bullet wound once didn't mean she was immune to them!  
  
"Kagome..." Sango hissed, but Kagome held up her hand to stop her.  
  
"Since you're pointing a gun at me, I assume you DO have something to do with Naraku." The girl growled, her eyes fixated on the older look alike. Kikyou visibly faltered, and took a step back. Kagome could see the sweat beginning to drip on her brow.  
  
"Nonsense! Naraku is only a witness to a crime dealt by SesshoMaru! I have no idea what you are talking about." Kikyou sneered, becoming more confident. But her hand still shook as she held the gun out towards Kagome.  
  
"Oh really... Then how come, even though there wasn't near enough evidence as there should have been, you convinced everyone up at the station that SesshoMaru was the killer of Kagura and Kaede. And now Kouga. One of by best friends and fellow bounty hunter. You tried to point all of the evidence to SesshoMaru, when you knew very well that he was innocent." Kagome took another step, the stairs creaking under her. Kikyou shifted nervously.  
  
"Don't try to lie to me, Kikyou. I've had you figured out since the day I saw you, you heartless bitch." Kagome leered, coming closer and closer to the gleaming silver of the gun in Kikyou's hand. Kikyou growled in reply.  
  
"What's to figure?" She snarled.  
  
"You're cold as ice, I see right through you. Naraku had someone helping him up at the station. He had to so he could get away with anything he wanted. Even murder. That someone was you, wasn't it, Kikyou?" Kagome reached the last step and halted, staring into the girl's eyes. Kikyou remained silent, and Kagome grew impatient.  
  
"WASN'T IT!?" She yelled in demand. Kikyou looked impassive, but finally a smirk formed on her lips.  
  
"Why is it that you, a little slip of a girl, always catch me when I'm doing something wrong?" She whispered harshly, shoving her gun into Kagome's chest. "What makes you think it's any of your business?"  
  
"I make it my business." Kagome growled back, smirking herself. The two had never looked more alike. "Naraku is insane. He's killed his sister, and old lady, and a boy that knew a little too much, just to get revenge on SesshoMaru, and to get hold of this." She brought up her left hand, her engagement ring glinting in the moonlight streaming from the window behind Kikyou. Kikyou gasped.  
  
"That's it! That's what he wants! The shikon no tama!" She made a grab for it. Kagome jerked her hand out of the way.  
  
"I don't think so. I know this baby's worth. Now tell me Kikyou, what are you getting out of all of this? You got some sick relationship with the bastard?"  
  
"No." Kikyou instantly snapped, a look of disgust on her face. "I loathe Naraku. But he promised me 25% of that stone's worth if I helped him out at headquarters. How could I pass up that much money?"  
  
"I would've found a way, knowing that the man I was working for was killing innocent people. I'm a bounty hunter, I love money, but I would have STILL found a way." Kagome retorted angrily. She then lunged at Kikyou and tackled her, twisting her arm out of the way so that the gun fired into the window behind them, shattering the glass. Kagome had Kikyou's gun out of her hand and across the room in seconds, and her revolver to the girl's temple in a few more. She straddled her as to make sure she couldn't get anywhere.  
  
"Now, you will tell me where Naraku wanted to meet SesshoMaru." She snarled in her ear. Sango and Miroku rushed up the stairs, their guns now pointed at the fallen girl. Kikyou grimaced.  
  
"He will kill me if I do." She growled back.  
  
"I assure you that Naraku will be long gone before he can come anywhere near you."  
  
Kikyou hesitated, but her body slackened in defeat. Kagome stood up from Kikyou, her gun positioned at her torso. Kikyou glanced around, and found that she was surrounded. Sighing, she also stood.  
  
"Alright. If that is what it will take to get you out of my house and away from me!" She hissed. "There's a warehouse at the edge of town, it's been abandoned for three years. It was the perfect spot to bring SesshoMaru, so there were no witnesses to his demise. That is all I will tell you."  
  
"Good enough for me." Kagome exclaimed and began to descend the stairs, still aiming at Kikyou. "Do not come after us."  
  
"Why would I? I've just told you something that will get me killed. I'm staying as far away from Naraku as possible." Kikyou sneered, folding her arms across her chest. Sango picked up Kikyou's forgotten gun and tucked it into her pants.  
  
"Let's go." Kagome called from the lower level. Sango and Miroku nodded at Kikyou, and quickly followed her.  
  
"Do you think Kikyou was telling the truth?" Sango whispered once they were outside. Kagome sighed as they got into the convertible and started up the engine.  
  
"I'm praying that I was wrong about her being heartless, and that she really was being honest." The girl glanced back up at the house, and saw Kikyou in the window. Kagome smirked and waved at her. Kikyou growled and retreated.  
  
'Sessho...Please be at that warehouse...'  
  
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mEw  
  
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SesshoMaru parked his BMW outside of the abandoned building and turned off the ignition. Looking up at the looming warehouse with its dark rooms and busted windows, he growled at himself. He should have thought to bring Kagome's gun with him, because now he didn't have a weapon. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn't just gallivant in there without any means of protection! Naraku wanted him dead! SesshoMaru brought his fist down on the top of his car with an angry grunt, and debated about what to do.  
  
He whirled around when he heard the sound of a car approaching. Putting an arm over his eyes to shield himself from the headlights, SesshoMaru squinted at the vehicle, hoping it wasn't Naraku.  
  
"Hey ass hole." Someone growled at him. Hey, that was Kagome's voice! SesshoMaru walked up to the car with a half angered, half relieved expression.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here!? I told you to stay in the apartment!" He demanded. Kagome rolled her eyes and jumped out of the car, the 1900's revolver in one hand and Kikyou's gun in the other. She waved the latter in front of SesshoMaru and grinned.  
  
"I believe you need this..."  
  
SesshoMaru sighed, but returned the grin, grabbing Kikyou's gun from her hand.  
  
"How did you find me?" He whispered, staring into Kagome's eyes. Kagome brought her hand up to brush the man's cheek, and leaned into him.  
  
"It wasn't easy. But you're not going to do anything stupid while I'm around." She whispered back. SesshoMaru smiled as he wrapped her into a fierce hug.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I just don't want you to get hurt." He croaked against her hair. Kagome held onto him desperately.  
  
"You're going to need all of the help you can get. And besides, I have this thing for surviving danger..." She exclaimed, running her hands down his back.  
  
"OKAY if you two are DONE..." Sango suddenly cut in, prying the two apart. "Need I remind you there is a psychotic killer in there waiting for us? I don't know about you but I have this serious urge to kick some ass..." She nodded towards the warehouse. Kagome blushed slightly but put on her determined face.  
  
"Let's go." She stated, and then began heading for the warehouse. SesshoMaru stayed by her side while Miroku and Sango followed behind them.  
  
"What if this is a trap?" Miroku suddenly asked. Kagome continued walking.  
  
"It probably is. We're just going to have to be as on guard as possible." She answered. When the four reached the warehouse door, SesshoMaru motioned for them to stand aside. No need for Naraku to know that there was more than one of them just yet.  
  
SesshoMaru brought his leg up and kicked the door open, instantly holding out his gun for whatever may be behind it.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He nodded at the others, and they came to his side. Warily, they entered the warehouse, peering through the darkness at their surroundings. Boxes towered over each side of them, their looming figures casting blackness onto the three bounty hunters and fugitive.  
  
"Who else feels like they're in a horror flick?" Sango grumbled, her gun shifting from one shadow to another. No one answered her but it was apparent that they all agreed.  
  
"There's a light in the center. Move towards it." SesshoMaru suddenly ordered. "That way we can at least see our hands in front of our faces."  
  
The others silently followed SesshoMaru, and sure enough came upon a dangling light bulb, swinging back and forth. Underneath the light was a chair, and sitting on the chair was a figure with his back to them. Kagome glanced at SesshoMaru, and he nodded. It was Naraku.  
  
"Naraku." SesshoMaru called out to him angrily, his gun raised at the man. "I've come."  
  
Suddenly the large building filled itself with Naraku's sinister voice, and his body shook along with the waves of his laughter. Kagome grew furious at this. How dare he! This was NO joke!  
  
"Four bottles of beer on the wall... four bottles of beer..." Naraku suddenly began singing.  
  
"What the hell!?" Miroku questioned out loud.  
  
"He's singing!" Sango exclaimed furiously.  
  
"That bastard..." Kagome growled.  
  
"Shoot one down, hit the ground,..." Suddenly shots were fired as someone on top of a series of boxes fired at Sango. She screeched and dove out of the way while Miroku called out her name in worry. The bullets continued to fly as the person above them targeted Sango, and finally managed to get one to rip right by her leg. She screamed in pain and held her limb against her chest as Miroku ran to her. Kagome growled and brought her gun up over her head, and fired a shot aimlessly for whomever it was up there that was shooting Sango. She would have used more but now she only had two bullets left. However, the firing ceased as Naraku continued to sing.  
  
"Three bottles of beer on the wall!" The sadistic bastard stood up from his chair and turned around to face them.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Kagome moved her gun around so it now faced him. SesshoMaru growled.  
  
"Three bottles of beer on the wall... Three bottles of beer..." Naraku ignored them. "Shoot one down, hit the ground..."  
  
Shots were fired once again, and Miroku went down. Sango screamed out his name.  
  
"Two bottles of beer on the wall..."  
  
"Stop this right now, Naraku!" SesshoMaru yelled in fury, his gun never wavering from its position. "Your beef is with me, not them."  
  
"Oh, but you chose to bring them along, when I specifically told you that no one else was to come but you." Naraku stopped his singing to sneer at SesshoMaru. "So now, they will all die."  
  
SesshoMaru sent a worried glance at Kagome. She was next.  
  
"Two bottles of beer on the wall, two bottles of beer..."  
  
"Kagome! Get out of the way!"  
  
"I'm not gonna leave you!"  
  
"He's gonna shoot you!"  
  
"BIG DEAL!"  
  
"Shoot one down, hit the ground..." Bullets flew.  
  
"KAGOME NO!!!" SesshoMaru tackled Kagome to the ground, covering her body with his, and taking a round of bullets for her. Kagome gasped in surprise, and cried out SesshoMaru's name.  
  
SesshoMaru grimaced, but his wounds were not fatal. Not yet at least. He turned around, still covering Kagome with his body, and aimed his gun at whoever was above them. With careful aim, he shot into the air. Someone screamed, and a body fell down onto the ground. It was Kanna.  
  
"That bitch." SesshoMaru growled, and then collapsed onto the ground, the pain over taking him. Kagome looked down at him tearfully.  
  
"Sessho... I'm so sorry... I didn't know... didn't realize..." She choked, but was silenced by a finger to her lips. Kagome grasped SesshoMaru's hand as he smiled at her.  
  
"I don't know if you've realized it by now or not... But I still..." He stopped, and his eyes widened. Shoving Kagome out of the way, he once again protected her from someone with a gun. Naraku was looming over them, either Sango's or Miroku's pistol in hand, and pointing it straight at them.  
  
"Give me the shikon no tama, SesshoMaru, and I will make your death quick and painless." He smirked. Kagome growled from behind SesshoMaru, fingering the ring on her left hand. Maybe, just maybe... She could make this work...  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
When SesshoMaru felt Kagome stiffen up behind him, he knew what she must be thinking, and mentally screamed at her not to do anything stupid. However, his ESP waves must have not been working, for Kagome opened her mouth angrily.  
  
"Naraku," She hissed, standing up as slowly as possible so as not to get a startled bullet in her brain. SesshoMaru grabbed her fore arm and gave Kagome a pleading look, but she shook her head and kept her eyes on the evil man before her.  
  
"You're pointing your gun at the wrong person. I have what you want." Kagome held up her left hand, letting her engagement ring sparkle under the single light bulb.  
  
"The shikon no tama... give it to me!" Naraku hissed at her, instantly reaching for the diamond. Kagome retracted her hand.  
  
"If I give the jewel to you, will you promise not to shoot at or kill anyone else?" She questioned calmly, her face an impassive slate. Naraku hesitated as he considered this, lowering his gun a notch. Then a gleam came to his eyes and his weapon was now pointed at Kagome.  
  
"I think I'd rather just kill you and then pry the ring off of your cold, dead finger." He smirked. This was about when Kagome began to panic. He wasn't supposed to do that! He was supposed to take the ring and leave them alone! Isn't that what he wanted!? The girl clenched her fist around her revolver that was hiding behind her back. If she could just get a clear shot when his attention wasn't focused on her...  
  
"You kill her, and I will personally rip out your large intestine and hang you from the ceiling with it." SesshoMaru growled from the ground, holding his bleeding shoulder to block the blood flow. His thigh was also bleeding profusely.  
  
"I don't think you'll have the chance to do such a thing." Naraku smirked, now looking down at the wounded SesshoMaru. "After I kill your girlfriend, I'm going to take the ring from her bleeding body and then leave you here for the police. Once they find you in a room full of dying bounty hunters, you'll be locked away for good!" He began laughing insanely, the light overhead only illuminating his evil features. "They won't believe anything you try to say! You'll be in jail, and I'll be in the Bahamas with 500 million dollars! I dare you to try exploiting my company from a dark and empty cell!"  
  
SesshoMaru clenched his fists, but said nothing on his behalf knowing that if he did, Kagome would only be killed faster. Why didn't she stay in her apartment!? Stupid stubborn woman!  
  
"I would close your eyes if I were you, cupcake. This will hurt, but only for a minute..." Naraku fixed his attention back on Kagome, his gun pointing steadily at her heart.  
  
SesshoMaru had to do something. Kagome would not die because of him! His Kagome...  
  
"Naraku, if you spare her life, we will give you the ring, and I will cease all corruption against you. Just please..." He hated to beg, but Kagome's life was on the line. And he'd be damned to the seven hells and back if he was going to let her die like this. "Please... do not hurt her." He whispered. Naraku growled, and struck SesshoMaru with the butt of his gun, rendering him unconscious.  
  
"SHUT UP YOU FILTHY WHELP!" Naraku screamed at the closed-eyed SesshoMaru. He grinned, only to look back up into the barrel of Kagome's revolver. His gun was now pressed against her chest, and hers was to his temple. The stood like that for what seemed like years, until a single shot rang out through the warehouse...  
  
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mEw  
  
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MeW  
  
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No! No! No! NO! NO!  
  
He couldn't fall asleep! Couldn't leave Kagome! Naraku... Naraku would kill her!  
  
Darkness enveloped SesshoMaru after Naraku had struck him, and he cursed himself for his own weakness.  
  
'I have failed... I have failed everyone that died... My parents, Kagura, Kaede, Kouga, and now Kagome and her friends... Naraku has won. I can't believe this... I won't accept this! This is ludicrous! All this while, I always thought that I would prevail, no matter what happened, no matter who got hurt... But that was before Kagome came back into my life. There are too many things that I haven't done, or apologized for, or haven't said yet! I can't die now! I haven't told Kagome... I need to tell Kagome... Kagome... When did I fall back in love with her? Or had I... had I always BEEN in love with her? I wonder... I wonder if she knows yet... If she's realized it yet... Kagome...'  
  
SesshoMaru came to a hazy awakening... or maybe... maybe it was just a dream... He wasn't sure. He remembered bright red lights, flashing on and off, loud sirens, a face or two, no one familiar... But then... then he saw her. Saw his Kagome. She had a look of utter guilt etched onto her face, tears running down her cheeks. He silently wondered why she was crying, and lifted a hand to wipe the tears away. Was she blaming herself for everything that happened? No... No Kagome... I told you sometimes it was okay to cry, but this isn't your fault...  
  
"You did nothing wrong, koi." He whispered harshly to her, his every word hurting. For some reason, his statement brought more tears to her eyes, and she sobbed as she clutched his hand in hers.  
  
"Yes I did... Yes I did... I did something horrible, SesshoMaru..." She cried through gut wrenching sobs. SesshoMaru tried to hold onto her hand as long as possible, but someone pulled him away from her. She screamed out his name, but another was holding her back, away from him.  
  
"Kagome..." He whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "You could never do anything horrible."  
  
Darkness claimed him once again, and SesshoMaru fell into a deep sleep, the last thing he saw being Kagome's tearful face.  
  
====  
  
mEw  
  
(.)  
  
MeW  
  
====  
  
"You okay, Higurashi?." Chief Hachiemon put an arm around the shivering girl. Kagome looked up at him with tears in her eyes as she watched her friends being carted away to the hospital. Sango was the least hurt, with only a bullet in her leg. Loss of blood had made her unconscious for the time being, but she would be fine in a few days, besides for the pain, of course. One of Kanna's bullets had grazed Miroku's temple, sending him into an immediate coma... the EMC didn't tell her how bad the situation was, however... And SesshoMaru... He had a bullet in his left shoulder, and right thigh. Not to mention the gash on his head from Naraku's strike. She'd talked to him for a second, but then they had just pulled him away from her... now no one would answer her questions. Kagome wasn't quite sure when or why the police had arrived. They had found her sitting in the middle of the warehouse, bodies strewn around her, and staring at Naraku's lifeless body. Her gun had been in her lap, and her hands folded over it. She was unharmed, and the only one to go into the abandoned warehouse, and come out unscathed. Kanna and Naraku were both dead.  
  
"No." Kagome choked out bitterly, clutching a green medical blanket around her. She wasn't sure who had draped it around her shoulders a few moments ago... She wasn't sure about anything right then.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't be either. Not after your ordeal." The chief shook his head sympathetically. "But I must ask you... Who killed Naraku and the girl? Surely you saw it all... Was it SesshoMaru?" He asked her gently. Kagome started at SesshoMaru's name, and narrowed her eyes at the man.  
  
"Of course not... Why would it be... Oh." She blinked. Everyone still thought that SesshoMaru was still the psychotic killer! For some reason, this made Kagome furious. She jumped up from the curb she was sitting on, flinging the medical blanket behind her and glaring at the chief.  
  
"SesshoMaru is innocent of all convicted crimes! Naraku Watanbe was behind this entire thing!" She cried out defensively. Hachiemon, gave her a strange look, and put his hands on Kagome's shoulders, trying to calm her down.  
  
"Now, now Kagome... What makes you think this?" He asked, concern and worry clear on his face. Kagome sighed.  
  
"It's a VERY long and complicated story... But you might want to ask Kikyou as well." She spat out the woman's name in disgust. Hachiemon was taken aback.  
  
"Kikyou? Kagome, I know you two have had some... unpleasant feelings towards each other but... don't you think this is taking it a little too far?"  
  
"NO!" Kagome screamed, her voice reaching its highest possible levels. "Get Kikyou over here right now! Then I will explain everything!"  
  
"Sir..." Houjou suddenly showed up behind them, holding up a portable phone. "There's a call for you... someone was double checking the test analysis on the SesshoMaru case, when they came across some very interesting things... or lack of things, you might say."  
  
"I'm a little busy right now, rookie." Hachiemon snapped.  
  
"Believe me sir, you want this call." Houjou exclaimed seriously. The chief was about to growl a retort, but he saw the look on Houjou's face, and grudgingly took the phone, turning his back on the two. Houjou gave Kagome a sympathetic smile.  
  
"I think you've just saved my ass, Houjou.." Kagome whispered in relief. Houjou quirked an eyebrow. What did he do?  
  
Kagome watched the emotions of Hachiemon's face change while the person on the other end of the phone talked seriously about test results. Finally the chief thanked the cop, and hung up. He turned to Kagome with a sigh.  
  
"Okay. NOW you have my full attention. Seems like someone has been tampering with the evidence, making it all point to SesshoMaru. The only one that had access to this, was Kikyou. I think you may be telling the truth, Kagome."  
  
"Of course I'm telling the truth!" Kagome threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"  
  
The chief led Kagome to his car, and they drove off to the police station, Kagome already beginning on the events of the passed three days.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Two months later...  
  
'What the hell am I doing? Why am I going through with this?' Kagome stared at herself blankly in the mirror, taking in the whole white wedding dress and gauze veil she was wearing. She didn't know what had happened, or why she was there, but she did know that she was about to be married. And she wasn't happy about it.  
  
'It's been two months since that day at the warehouse... Sango is fine, but has to use crutches for a few more days... Miroku just recently woke up from his month and a half long coma... we had been so worried about him... we haven't been on a single case since I killed Naraku. And SesshoMaru...' Kagome clenched her fists at her side, grinding her teeth. 'SesshoMaru is the reason why I'm even going through with this.'  
  
Kagome had a right to be upset. After she had explained everything to the police, had a confession from Kikyou, and similar stories from Sango and Shippou, they had cleared SesshoMaru's name. Naraku's business had been shut down, and all productions stopped. All stolen items were returned to museums or jewelers, or whoever Naraku had taken them from. SesshoMaru was a free man. But he stayed in the hospital for no more than a week, and then had just... left. Kagome had tried to see him every day, but the nurses said he refused to see her. He just lay there, staring off into space, not talking or making any acknowledgments of anyone. Then one day, he had just gotten out of bed and walked out the front door, and they hadn't seen him since. At first, Kagome was in denial. She couldn't believe SesshoMaru would do that to her! After all they had been through in those three days... He just left.  
  
And now she was marrying InuYasha just to spite him.  
  
Kagome looked down at her ring finger at the shikon no tama that still resided there. They had managed to leave out the jewel's worth in their story to the police... even Kikyou kept her mouth shut... but that was probably because she was trying to convince the fuzz that Naraku was threatening her, and that's why she messed with evidence up at the station. Whatever. It worked for Kagome. That way she would be able to keep the jewel. The only people left that knew of its real value was Sango, Shippou, Miroku, SesshoMaru, and herself. One day they would invest it but...  
  
Kagome sighed heavily just as Sango stumbled into the room.  
  
"Damn stairs... they should have elevators for handicapped people like me!" She muttered angrily, falling into a nearby chair. Looking up at her friend, and frowned.  
  
"Uh oh... I don't like that look..." Sango prodded Kagome with a crutch. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothings wrong..." Kagome tried to grin. It was an empty gesture. Sango raised an eyebrow at her, and Kagome turned around to look out the window so her closet friend wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.  
  
"You don't fool me." Sango accused, struggling to stand up again. She went behind Kagome and gave her an awkward but comforting hug. "You miss him..."  
  
"Sango, don't start this again." Kagome warned dangerously.  
  
"Look girl, we've been friends for... fuck I don't know. Long enough that I can read you like a book." Sango unwrapped her hands from around her friend and made her look at her. "You keep telling me that I'm wrong, that you love InuYasha. But unlike what most people think, I'm not stupid. SesshoMaru stole your heart in those three days you were together. I saw the way you two looked at each other before we went into the warehouse. I might have split you up, but I could totally sense the love sparking between you." She whispered. Kagome shook her head, trying to block out Sango's words.  
  
"Sango, please don't do this to me now. I'm about to get married to the guy's brother!" She cried out desperately, motioning to the people-filled church on the other side of the door. Sango sighed in defeat, and backed away.  
  
"Whatever, Kagome. But if you ask me, I think you're with the wrong brother." Sango limped over to the door. "Oh and by the way, the wedding singer has arrived..." A mysterious glint came to Sango's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Soon, Kagome was alone.  
  
Loud church bells sounded overhead, and it was all Kagome could do not to cover her ears. Thoughts flooded into her brain along with the ding donging of the bells.  
  
'InuYasha will just go straight back to work after we're married, and then I'll just go on like things have always been... but I guess I can't do that, can I? Miroku is just getting over his comatose, there's no one to run the office... so we won't have cases until he's fully recovered... So there'll be no bounty hunting, no excitement, no evil jewelers chasing after my engagement ring, no drop offs, and no buzzes with old geezers, no Momo... No... SesshoMaru...'  
  
Kagome smacked her forehead with her palm.  
  
'God would you just shut up about that bastard! He didn't even say goodbye or explain anything!!! He obviously doesn't give a shit about you...'  
  
She sighed. But was that really true?  
  
'Remember when he let you cry on his shoulder, and when he wouldn't let you come with him to the warehouse because he was afraid that you would be in danger, or when he protected you from Kanna's bullets... He risked his life to save me. Twice! I guess that's saying something.'  
  
Suddenly a woman's voice floated through the open window, and Kagome leaned over the sill to look out below her. The wedding singer was perched on a stage, behind rows and rows of white chairs. They were doing their sound check, and had drawn a small crowed. A man behind the singer had an acoustic guitar plugged into an amp, and was tuning as he went along with her voice. Soon, they were in perfect unison.  
  
"I was five and he was six  
  
We rode on horses made of sticks  
  
He wore black and I wore white  
  
He would always win the fight..."  
  
"Oh god you have got to be kidding me..." Kagome winced when she heard the lyrics. Images of Kagome and SesshoMaru at the young ages of five and six flashed through her mind. Them playing together, them swinging beside each other, them... doing it together... not knowing exactly what it was they were doing. Kagome rolled her eyes at her younger self, but couldn't help a bitter smile to pass her lips.  
  
"Bang bang, he shot me down  
  
Bang bang, I hit the ground  
  
Bang bang, that awful sound  
  
Bang bang, my baby shot me down"  
  
Now they were in high school, flirting, making out, having sex, being totally glued to one another... and then she saw SesshoMaru's hurt and jealous face, waving a gun around, and then the loud shot of a bullet rang her ears. SesshoMaru had yelled in surprise, shock, and worry, instantly dropping the gun like it was on fire. He had run over to Kagome's falling body, catching her before she hit the floor. The words 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was loaded...' poured from his lips as tears streamed down his face, and she slipped into darkness.  
  
"Seasons came and changed the time  
  
When I grew up, I called him mine  
  
He would always laugh and say  
  
"Remember when we used to play?"  
  
The elevator door slid open, and Kagome came face to face with a panicked SesshoMaru. They sat in her apartment as he explained what was happening, and why she was in danger. They made the deal, and she tried to make macaroni. He rolled his eyes at her antics, but she could see the caring smile that was already beginning to show. He pulled her into his lap as she was crying over InuYasha, had soothed her with his voice, stroking her hair... He had kissed her so passionately before he left for Naraku, as if his heart and soul were pouring through his mouth into hers.  
  
"Bang bang, I shot you down  
  
Bang bang, you hit the ground  
  
Bang bang, that awful sound  
  
Bang bang, I used to shoot you down"  
  
SesshoMaru screamed her name, and tackled Kagome to the ground, taking a round of bullets from Kanna. Kagome leaned over a bleeding SesshoMaru, telling him she was sorry, when his eyes widened, and he shoved her out of the way, protecting her with his own body as Naraku shoved a gun into his face. Kagome saw herself stand and watched as Naraku hit SesshoMaru over the head. Next thing she new, her gun was out and smoking slightly, a dead Naraku lying crumpled on the floor. The tears wouldn't stop coming as Kagome realized what she had done. SesshoMaru told her she could never to anything wrong... but she had killed a man in cold blood without a second thought. Just shot him... Shot him dead.  
  
"Music played and people sang  
  
Just for me the church bells rang  
  
Now he's gone. I don't know why  
  
And till this day, sometimes I cry  
  
He didn't even say goodbye  
  
He didn't take the time to lie"  
  
Kagome was back in the present, standing in front of the open window of the church, staring down at the wedding singer with tears in her eyes. This was torture. The lyrics were everything that she had been through, everything she was...  
  
"SesshoMaru... why did you leave?" She whispered to herself.  
  
"Bang bang, he shot me down  
  
Bang bang, I hit the ground  
  
Bang bang, that awful sound  
  
Bang bang, my baby shot me down"  
  
Kagome flung open the door to the church, startling several people that were already seated. She instantly ran for Sango, who was standing beside Miroku.  
  
"Sango! Where is InuYasha!?" She panted, glancing around for her fiancé.  
  
"Uh... he hasn't shown up yet. He just called the churches phone... said he was stuck in traffic..."  
  
"Well, when he gets here, will you tell him that I said, 'snooze ya lose'?" Kagome growled, and then ran out of the church. Sango and Miroku called out her name in protest, but she was already long gone. Kagome ran into the middle of the street, and looked around wildly. Everyone was staring at her, wondering why the bride was out already.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Kagome whirled around, and saw a young man with shoulder length white- blonde hair running towards her, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Kagome squinted through the sunlight, putting her hand over her eyes.  
  
"SesshoMaru?" She whispered in shock. The tall man ran up to her and stopped about ten feet away.  
  
"Kagome..." He panted, bending down on his knees. "I ran... from the other side of the city... to tell you... to tell you..." He tried to catch his breath.  
  
"To tell me what!?" Kagome yelled in frustration.  
  
"To tell you... don't... marry InuYasha..." He slowly stood up straight, his breathing labored. The city was more than twenty miles wide... that was an awful long ways to run, even if you were in peak condition like SesshoMaru was.  
  
"You ran all this way... just to tell me that?" Kagome let out a short laugh in disbelief. "Why didn't you just take a bus?"  
  
"Too much... traffic..." SesshoMaru panted. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"Well, you're too late." She growled. SesshoMaru visibly drooped his shoulders in defeat.  
  
"You've already married him... haven't you?" He looked up at her, eyes shining.  
  
"No... You're just late in the telling him not to marry me department. I figured that out around... oh... two minutes ago..." She grinned. SesshoMaru brightened up, and he walked over to Kagome.  
  
"So the weddings off?" He couldn't help the wide smile that crossed his face as he put his hands on the bride's hips. Kagome nodded.  
  
"And it's all your damn fault."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah... I guess I couldn't forget about you that easy."  
  
"Me neither... I've been thinking about you nonstop, night and day. Kagome, I can't live without you. You're staying with me, and I won't take no for an answer." He looked down at her seriously, making sure she got the point.  
  
"Well I wasn't planning to say no. But first things first..." Kagome backed away from SesshoMaru and slapped him hard across the cheek. SesshoMaru blinked in surprise. "THAT'S for not telling me goodbye when you left, and for leaving in the first place! You could have at least let me visit you in the hospital!"  
  
SesshoMaru turned around with a grin, rubbing his cheek.  
  
"I guess I deserved that."  
  
"Damn straight!"  
  
"Sorry... I just couldn't deal with the possibility that you hated me because I dragged you into that huge mess with Naraku... I didn't want you to get hurt in any way, and I know how much killing a man, even in your own defense, would hurt you...." SesshoMaru muttered regretfully. He then shook his head and looked back at Kagome. "Anything else?"  
  
"Yeah, there's one more thing..." Kagome raised her hand again. SesshoMaru closed his eyes, waiting for the impact, but instead felt the smooth texture of Kagome's lips on his. He snapped his eyes open in shock, but quickly returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and squishing her against him. Once they released their lip lock, Kagome whispered,  
  
"That's for saving my life you big idiot." She grinned.  
  
"Ditto." SesshoMaru returned the smile, and they slammed their lips back together.  
  
"So I guess that means you love me, right?" He asked her once they broke away again. Kagome pretended to think this over, and SesshoMaru growled.  
  
"Just kidding you big baby! Of course I love you... I think that... I always have. And you sure as hell better love me."  
  
SesshoMaru now pretended to mull this over, and Kagome slapped him playfully on the arm.  
  
"Of course I love you, koi. I'd been trying to tell you that for the three days I was reunited with you but... someone was always shoving a gun in my face before I could get anything out." He smiled warmly.  
  
"That's what I wanna hear." Kagome grinned.  
  
"So uh... can we... you know..." SesshoMaru looked around at the large crowd they had attracted.  
  
"Let's get the hell outta here!" Kagome laughed as she yanked on SesshoMaru's arm, and they ran halfway down the street until SesshoMaru swept her up into his arms, and loaded her into the nearest bus.  
  
"Let's go to Hawaii..." Kagome fingered her engagement ring. SesshoMaru's eyes widened as he looked down at her hand.  
  
"You still have it!" He grinned.  
  
"Yeah... we've become very attached to one another." Kagome giggled.  
  
Sango emerged from the church, a cell phone cupped under her ear.  
  
"Uh huh... She said 'Snooze ya lose'... Yup, those exact words.... HEY! Don't yell at me, dog-breath! I'm not the one that's late for my own wedding! ... No, she won't be waiting for you when you come home... Why? Because I think she's found someone ELSE to take her home... Heh heh, guess you'll find out whenever you get back, won't you? If you ever actually show up, that is. Chow!" Sango hung up the phone, cutting off a raging InuYasha. She grinned with Miroku at her side as they watched SesshoMaru carry Kagome into the local city bus. Sango then walked over to the wedding singer, who was still on the stage, and shook her hand.  
  
"Good work, Nancy."  
  
"Anytime..."  
  
THE END!!! For now... 


End file.
